President Biden made historical past on Thursday when he commuted the jail sentences of practically 1,500 folks and granted 49 pardons, marking the most important single-day act of clemency in trendy historical past.
Within the sweeping transfer, Biden shaved years off the sentence of the individual convicted within the largest municipal embezzlement in U.S. historical past, angering the present leaders of the small city she stole from.
Included within the listing of inmates Biden launched who had been positioned beneath dwelling confinement throughout the COVID-19 pandemic was Rita Crundwell, the previous comptroller of Dixon, Illinois, who was convicted in 2013 and sentenced to just about 20 years behind bars for stealing practically $54 million from the city of 15,000 folks over 20 years.
Crundwell, now 71, admitted to embezzling from the town of Dixon throughout her time as comptroller, utilizing the stolen funds to help a lavish life-style, which included bankrolling her horse breeding operation, buying actual property, and shopping for greater than 4 dozen autos and a luxurious motor dwelling.
Crundwell was set to serve out 85% of her sentence, which might have saved her in jail till Oct. 20, 2029, in accordance with CBS Information. However she was launched on home arrest early on Aug. 4, 2021, the place she remained till Biden commuted her sentence this week.
“The Metropolis of Dixon is shocked and outraged with the announcement that President Biden has given Rita Crundwell clemency for the most important municipal embezzlement within the historical past of our nation,” present Dixon Metropolis Supervisor Danny Langlossa stated in an announcement reacting to Biden’s commutation of Crundwell’s sentence. “This can be a full travesty of justice and a slap within the face for our complete group.”
“Whereas at the moment’s information is unimaginable, the Metropolis of Dixon is in an unbelievable place at the moment,” Langlossa added. “We’ll proceed to give attention to the long run and work to capitalize on the momentum we now have created.”
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