Finance boss used city’s cash to fund horse farm – feds
An Illinois city’s fiscal controller funded a lavish lifestyle, including a move yesteryear quarter Equus caballus breeding performance amongst to a greater extent than than 150 horses, through misappropriating millions of dollars, U.S. federal government allege.
Rita Crundwell, 58, of Dixon, a urban inwardness of most 16,000 people inwards Lee County, is defendant of misappropriating to a greater extent than than $US30 i one k thousand inwards urban inwardness funds.
FBI officers arrested her on Tuesday. They allege she has been taking populace coin from the city’s coffers since 2006, as well as that to a greater extent than than $US3.2 i one k thousand has been taken since terminal autumn alone.
Warrants were executed at her dwelling identify as well as office, Equus caballus farms inwards Beloit, Wisconsin, as well as some other inwards Dixon, which is inwards Lee County. Funds inwards ii depository fiscal establishment accounts direct keep been frozen.
Among items seized were 7 trucks as well as trailers, 3 pickup trucks, a $US2.1 i one k thousand motor home, as well as a Ford Thunderbird convertible, all of which were allegedly purchased amongst illegal proceeds.
Crundwell’s annual salary inwards her urban inwardness work every bit its comptroller, which she has held since the early on 1980s, is most $US80,000.
Patrick Fitzgerald, U.S. attorney for the northern district of Illinois, as well as Chicago-based FBI special-agent-in-charge Robert Grant, confirmed the arrest of Crundwell on a federal accuse for allegedly defrauding the Dixon of to a greater extent than than $US3.2 i one k thousand inwards populace funds since simply terminal fall.
The federal criminal complaint alleges that Crundwell has misappropriated to a greater extent than than $30 i one k thousand inwards urban inwardness funds since 2006 to finance her ain lavish lifestyle.
Crundwell handled all finances for the city.
Dixon Mayor James Burke reported Crundwell to constabulary enforcement government terminal autumn later on a urban inwardness employee assumed Crundwell’s duties during Crundwell’s extended unpaid vacation.
After reviewing depository fiscal establishment statements from September 2011 through to March 2012, the FBI expanded the probe as well as began reviewing the city’s finances dating dorsum to 2006.
The investigation is continuing.
According to the complaint, Crundwell receives 4 weeks of paid opor-garai annually as well as took an extra 12 weeks of unpaid opor-garai inwards 2011.
In Oct terminal year, piece Crundwell was away from work, a Dixon employee who served every bit her replacement requested all of the city’s depository fiscal establishment statements.
After reviewing them, the employee brought the records of a item line of piece of work organisation human relationship to Mayor Burke’s attention.
The September 2011 controversy for that line of piece of work organisation human relationship showed 3 deposits totaling $US785,000, every bit good every bit 84 checks drawn totaling $US360,493, as well as xl withdrawals totaling $US266,605.
The city’s council has numerous depository fiscal establishment accounts, including a upper-case missive of the alphabet evolution fund.
Between September 2011 as well as Feb 2012, most $US2,783,912 inwards diverse taxation funds were electronically deposited into i of the city’s accounts.
Crundwell is alleged to direct keep caused these funds to move moved around to other depository fiscal establishment accounts held yesteryear the city, as well as eventually transferred most of it into the upper-case missive of the alphabet evolution fund account.
Between September 2011 as well as March 2012, inwards her capacity every bit comptroller, Crundwell allegedly wrote xix checks totaling $US3,558,000 on the upper-case missive of the alphabet evolution fund line of piece of work organisation human relationship payable to “Treasurer”, as well as deposited these checks into an line of piece of work organisation human relationship listing an entity called RSCDA every bit the articulation line of piece of work organisation human relationship holder.
She is as well as thus alleged to direct keep taken $US3,311,860 from the RSCDA line of piece of work organisation human relationship yesteryear checks as well as online withdrawals, using only $US74,274 for urban inwardness operations.
Crundwell is alleged to direct keep used the coin for her ain personal as well as line of piece of work organisation expenses, including most $US450,000 relating to her Equus caballus farming operations, $US600,000 inwards online credit bill of fare payments, as well as $US67,000 to buy a 2012 Chevy Silverado pickup truck.
After discovering Crundwell allegedly had lately transferred $US3,558,000 inwards urban inwardness funds to the RSCDA account, the FBI obtained additional depository fiscal establishment records showing that betwixt July 2006 as well as March 2012, Crundwell allegedly deposited a total of $US30,236,503 inwards urban inwardness funds into the RSCDA account, as well as paid out to a greater extent than than $US30 i one k thousand for her ain personal as well as line of piece of work organisation expenses.
The complaint alleges that she used fraudulently obtained funds to brand additional purchases, including a 2009 Liberty Coach Motor Home for $US2,108,000, a 2009 Kenworth T800 tractor truck for $US146,787, a 2009 Freightliner Truck for $US140,000, a 2009 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck for $US56,646, as well as a 2009 Featherlite Horse Trailer for $US258,698.
Between Jan of 2007 as well as March of 2012, Crundwell incurred charges of to a greater extent than than $US2.5 i one k thousand on her personal American Express credit bill of fare account, including to a greater extent than than $US339,000 on jewelry alone, as well as allegedly used Dixon funds to pay the entire amount of charges.
Wire fraud carries a maximum penalization of xx years inwards prison, as well as a $US250,000 fine, or an alternate fine totaling twice the loss or twice the gain, whichever is greater.
Records allege work of the fund include Crundwell paying $US450,000 inwards expenses related to her horse-farming operations, including $US200,000 of expenses for feeding, insuring as well as providing veterinarian assist for her horses.
Belum ada Komentar untuk "Finance boss used city’s cash to fund horse farm – feds"
Posting Komentar