Rita Crundwell Released
The City of Dixon police released a statement today confirming that Rita Crundwell has been released after being sentenced in 2013 to 19 years and 7 months in federal prison which would have had have a release date of October 20, 2029.
Rita Crundwell was convicted of embezzling nearly $54 million from the city has been released early from the Federal Corrections Institution in Pekin, Illinois according to Dixon officials.
“City of Dixon Confirms Rita Crundwell Release”
August 4, 2021
The City of Dixon has confirmed that Rita Crundwell was released earlier today from the Federal Corrections Institution in Pekin, Illinois. On February 14, 2013, a federal judge sentenced Crundwell to 19 years 7 months in federal prison. Crundwell was to serve 85% of this sentence. According to the Federal Bureau of Prison website, Crundwell was due to be released on October 20, 2029.
Over the past week, there have been rumors surrounding the possibility of Crundwell’s release. Earlier this evening, credible information was received and City Manager Danny Langloss contacted the Federal Correctional Institution in Pekin and confirmed that Rita Crundwell had been released. The prison official who provided this information did not know the reason for Crundwell’s early release.
On April 22, 2020, Rita Crundwell petitioned a federal judge for early release based on her “deteriorating health condition” and the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 10, 2020, on behalf of the Dixon City Council, City Manager Danny Langloss issued a letter to the Pekin Correctional Institution Warden strongly opposing early release of Crundwell. Crundwell ultimately withdrew her request for release at that time.
Mayor Liandro Arellano expressed his frustration that the City of Dixon received no official notification. “It is incredibly frustrating that Dixon was given no victim notification of Rita Crundwell’s release. Dixonites are still dealing with the social and financial aftermath of the damage she did, and our community deserved notice of and reasoning for this decision.”
The City of Dixon will release more information as it becomes available.
