DIXON, Ill. — Dixon residents are frustrated after learning of President Biden's decision on Thursday to commute the prison sentence of former city comptroller Rita Crundwell, who was convicted in 2013 of embezzling nearly $54 million from the city over more than two decades.
Residents like Deb Donoho are still scratching their heads the day after but are trying to make peace with the decision.
"I am a forgiving person and about second chances, but when a sentence is given, it feels like there was reasons for it," Donoho said.
In 2012, Rita Crundwell admitted to stealing the million from Dixon taxpayers. She used the money to buy show horses and other luxury items.
The former bookkeeper was sentenced to nearly 20 years in federal prison but has spent the last three years at home.
Crundwell's crime is considered the largest municipal fraud in history, and many residents believe she did not deserve to be included among the non-violent offenders whose sentences were commuted.
"She did a great disservice to this community," resident Sheri Fore said.
"For every drug offender who was young and deserved a better chance who was [commuted], you have somebody like Rita. This wasn't some youthful mistake. This was over 20 years of premeditated destruction of the community, and she shouldn't have qualified," Li Arellano Jr., the former mayor of Dixon said.
Arellano Jr. stepped into his role in 2015 following Crundwell's verdict. Due to the nature of his job, he considers her actions unforgiveable as the city didn't have the funds to keep residents safest. Dixon struggled to update its emergency resources and had to let go of police officers.
"[If you think] you can steal $54 million from a local government who has a police department and not have it affect public safety, you don't understand how government works," Arellano Jr. said.
City officials say they've recovered $40 million through court settlements and liquidations of Crundwell's assets. A good chunk of that money paid for the work of the U.S. Marshal Service, and it's unclear how much money she still owes.