For Immediate Release

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Marshals Service will sell the furnishings and other personal property from Rita Crundwell’s residences in Dixon, Ill., and Englewood, Fla., via online auction Dec. 6-8 at www.professionalauction.com.

“After researching the options, we determined that an online auction is the best method to keep our selling costs low and maximize proceeds to the victims in this case. We are working with Dixon Public Schools to arrange for a computer lab to accommodate those within the local community who may have some anxiety with online auctions,” said U.S. Marshal Daryl McPherson of the Northern District of Illinois.

Some of the furnishings and personal belongings from Rita Crundwell’s residences in Illinois and Florida.
In addition, six vehicles and boats are being offered for sale via an online auction that ends Dec. 6. See the below links for those assets, with pictures, descriptions and terms and conditions.
http://tinyurl.com/crundwell1 and http://tinyurl.com/crundwell2

Crundwell, 59, was one of the leading breeders of quarter horses in the U.S. Formerly the comptroller of Dixon, Crundwell pleaded guilty to a federal fraud charge in U.S. District Court in Northern Illinois Nov. 14. Crundwell agreed that she owes restitution to the city of Dixon totaling $53,740,394. Since she was arrested on April 17, Crundwell has agreed to the liquidation of assets that she had acquired with proceeds from her decades-long fraud scheme. To date, the U.S. Marshals Service has recovered approximately $7.4 million from the online and live auctions of approximately 400 quarter horses, vehicles, trailers, tack and a luxury motor home, with additional auctions of jewelry and real property in Illinois and Florida still pending. The net proceeds from the forfeited property will be held in escrow pending further proceedings on restitution to the victim of the offense.

Pictures of personal belongings from the Florida and Illinois residences:
www.flickr.com/photos/usmarshals/ 
(click on “Rita Crundwell Florida House” and “Rita Crundwell Illinois House” sets)

Information, pictures, terms and conditions on the auction will be available at
www.professionalauction.com 

For information on the federal case, go to
http://www.justice.gov/usao/iln/pr/chicago/2012/pr1114_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 23,000 assets with a value of $2.4 billion.

Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov.

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