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For Immediate Release |
Contact: |
| September 19, 2012 |
Lynzey Donahue (202) 307-9075 Deputy U.S. Marshal Belkis Sandoval |
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US Marshals to Auction More Than 300 of Rita Crundwell’s Horses
WASHINGTON – The
U.S. Marshals Service will sell the remainder of the Rita Crundwell herd of
quarter horses –more than 300 – via a live and Web simulcast auction in
Dixon, Ill., Sunday and Monday, starting at 11 a.m. CDT each day.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for horse lovers at every level
to buy from a top breeding program. We expect to sell horses from $400
youngsters up to six-figure show and breeding horses,” said Mike Jennings
of Professional Auction Services, Inc., the company hired by the U.S.
Marshals to conduct the auction.
The auction will be held at the RC Ranch in Dixon. No
parking will be available at the ranch. Shuttle bus service will be
provided beginning at 7 a.m. from five parking sites in Dixon. Red Brick
Road will be closed, and no parking will be permitted on the shoulder of
the main roads leading to the ranch. Weapons, large coolers, backpacks,
alcohol and golf carts are prohibited. Concessions will be available for
purchase. Extensive information is available at
www.professionalauction.com.
A 97-page catalog of all the horses, photos and information is also
available at
www.professionalauction.com. Bidders must pay a fully refundable $250
deposit to register for the auction.
Other items to be sold include tack and equipment, such as saddles,
bridles, blankets, cylinder fans, 37 canvas-sided stalls, two bobcats, an
industrial washer and dryer, hay feeders and more. Those items will be
auctioned from 10-11 a.m. Sunday and 9-11 a.m. Monday. They
will not be offered for online bidding.
The U.S. Marshals sold the first 80 of Crundwell’s horses for $1.64 million
via an online auction that closed on Sept. 12. The proceeds from the sale
of those horses are anticipated to cover the Marshals’ outlay for expenses
to care for the horses since May. That paves the way for the proceeds from
the upcoming sale to be made available for restitution to the city of Dixon
if the government prevails in its criminal and civil actions against
Crundwell. The proceeds from the upcoming auction will be held in an escrow
account until the conclusion of the case.
“Managing a herd this size since May has been challenging, but mostly the
same caretakers and veterinarians that were managing the horses for the
defendant have been managing the horses while they’ve been in Marshals
custody. We are confident that we have maintained the value and quality of
the herd for the thousands of people in the quarter horse industry who have
been waiting for this opportunity,” said U.S. Marshal Darryl McPherson of
the Northern District of Illinois.
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Three of the horses up for auction, from l to r: (1) Good I Will Be (lot
104), photo by Crystal Holman; (2) Moneys Moxie (lot 209), photo by Jeff
Kirkbride; and (3) Acoolest (lot 299), photo by Crystal Holman.
Should the government prevail in its civil and criminal actions against
Crundwell, net proceeds from the sale of the defendant’s forfeited assets
will be made available for restitution to the city of Dixon. For information, pictures, terms and conditions on the auction, go to: www.professionalauction.com. For information on another Crundwell asset for sale, a luxury motor home, go to http://tinyurl.com/usmsauction1 For information on the federal case, go to http://www.justice.gov/usao/iln/pr/rockford/2012/pr0501_01.pdf
The U.S. Marshals
Service is responsible for managing and selling seized and forfeited
properties acquired by federal criminals through illegal activities.
Proceeds generated from asset sales are used to compensate victims,
supplement funding for law enforcement initiatives and support community
programs.
As part of the Department of Justice’s Asset Forfeiture Program, the
Marshals currently manage more than 19,000 assets with a value of $4.4
billion.
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