Biden Commutes Sentence of Illinois Official Who Embezzled $53M from Small Town
SUMMARY
President Joe Biden has commuted the sentence of Rita Crundwell, a former Illinois official convicted of the largest municipal embezzlement in U.S. history. Crundwell, the ex-comptroller of Dixon, Illinois, was sentenced in 2013 to nearly 20 years in federal prison for stealing over $53 million from the small town to fund a lavish lifestyle and a horse-breeding business. Initially set to serve her sentence until 2029, Crundwell was released to home confinement in 2021 and now, under Biden’s commutation, is free. Crundwell’s scheme, which began in 1990, involved creating fake accounts and false invoices to siphon city funds. Her fraud was uncovered in 2012 when a colleague discovered suspicious accounts during Crundwell's vacation. Biden’s decision is part of a broader act of clemency involving 1,500 commutations and 39 pardons. Dixon officials and residents have expressed outrage, calling the commutation a betrayal of justice for the small town she devastated.
