She used the funds to build one of the nation’s leading quarter horse breeding empires, all while forcing staff cuts, police budget slashing, and neglect of public infrastructure. As city comptroller of Dixon, IL (population 15,838), Crundwell stole $53 million dollars of public funds across 20 years. How could one woman steal $53 million without anyone noticing? ALL THE QUEEN’S HORSES tells the story of Rita Crundwell, the perpetrator of the largest case of municipal fraud in American history. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email. Join the discussion on Twitter and on Facebook. Keep Crundwell behind bars, along with other crooks who abuse their offices and disgrace this state. The federal system has no parole.Ĭorrupt public officials watching this high-profile case are no doubt betting that they, too, can get away with stealing for years, and then get off with a penalty that makes corruption worth the risk. After abusing the public trust for more than 20 years, she should be required to serve at least 85% of an appropriate 235-month sentence. Third, when it’s deemed safe to do so, Crundwell should be returned to prison to complete the rest of her sentence. As the judge said in imposing sentence, Crundwell showed “greater passion for the welfare of her horses than the people of Dixon who she represented.” Second, the people of Dixon have every right to be angry about this compassion shown to a coldhearted liar who lived like a queen by gutting their town’s finances. The Bureau of Prisons does not provide details, but presumably Crundwell has returned to the scene of the crime, many years ahead of her time.įirst, the pandemic posed a deadly threat to vulnerable inmates such as Crundwell and the feds had a duty to protect them from the virus, even if that meant temporarily releasing nonviolent offenders to home confinement. She asked for release to her brother’s home on the outskirts of the same town she bilked, and the Bureau of Prisons now lists her at a halfway house in Downers Grove that actually farms out many of its inmates to “home confinement” elsewhere. She described herself as a model inmate who had helped the feds recover hundreds of horses and other assets eventually used to pay back Dixon. She was 67 at the time, and complained of high blood pressure, arthritis and other infirmities common to older adults. told the Rockford Register-Star, that he had not been given advance notice nor the ability to aptly warn his recovering community.Īs the pandemic unfolded in 2020, Crundwell filed for compassionate release from the federal prison near Peoria where she was being held.

She has COVID-19 to thank.Īt the time, Dixon Mayor Liandro Arellano Jr. While Ryan served his time, the outrageous Blagojevich had his sentence commuted by ex-President Donald Trump, who committed a fresh injustice against the citizens of Illinois by freeing him more than four years early.Īnd then there’s Crundwell, released from prison last August after serving less than half her sentence instead of the 85% that is mandatory in the federal system. You’d hope the mere threat of a 20-year term would act as a deterrent, but apparently not, partly because those sentences aren’t always what they seem. It fit the crime: What Crundwell did to Dixon, boyhood home of Ronald Reagan, is widely viewed as the largest municipal fraud in U.S. In 2013, Crundwell got one of the stiffest corruption sentences in memory: 19 years, seven months. Rod Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years. George Ryan was sentenced to 6 ½ years in prison and in 2011, ex-Gov. What will it take to deter public officials in this state from using government offices to steal from taxpayers? Even longer prison sentences? Ricardo Munoz, 22nd, pleaded guilty and received a 13-month sentence in March. Solis has pleaded not guilty but admitted to crimes as he cooperated with the feds to gather evidence against his colleagues, and ex-Ald.

We understand if you have trouble keeping the statuses straight: Thompson was found guilty, the ComEd defendants have pleaded not guilty, as have Madigan and his associate, as well as Burke and Austin.

Rita crundwell