Former Dixon comptroller faces 60 new charges

"She's a sick person, she has some problems," said Dixon resident Maureen Callas.

The scars in Dixon run deep for residents who thought they knew long time city comptroller Rita Crundwell.  "The town suffered and I was really heart broken, along with everybody else in this town," said Callas.

After her arrest earlier this spring, people and city workers there now want restitution.

"The money has been taken from the people and it needs to be returned to them," said Dixon street commissioner Jeff Kuhn.

Kuhn says the more than 50 million dollars former Dixon comptroller Rita Crundwell is accused of stealing would have helped out a struggling city.

"We have very old equipment, we have streets that need to be repaired, which could not be done because there was no money to do it," said Kuhn.

Under the guidance of the US Attorney's office, a recent investigation by Lee County officials led to a grand jury indictment of 60 different theft charges against Crundwell.  Totaling more than 11 million dollars stolen between January 2010 and April 17th 2012, the day she was arrested.

"There were 60 transfers from the city of Dixon Capital Development Account to Rita Crundwell's own account," said Lee County State's Attorney Henry Dixon.

It was an investigation Dixon mayor Jim Burke said he felt compelled to pursue.  Worried Crundwell's federal wire fraud charge might not carry enough punishment if she's convicted, he wanted to ensure Crundwell is held accountable for funding her lavish life style on the public's dime.

"If there was a slap on the writs, there would be more from it, from this angle," said Burke.

The new charges against Rita Crundwell have brought some relief to people who live and work in the city of Dixon

"Something will become of this," said Callas.  "That she'll have to pay in some way or get help in some way."

"Every time I see something be sold, taken care of, it does make me feel a little bit better," said Kuhn.

The city of Dixon can't pursue charges for every year Crundwell is accused of stealing because information obtained by the US Attorney's office can't be used by the Lee County State's Attorneys office.

The agreement between both jurisdictions allows Lee County to pursue charges for the last couple years using information gathered by its own state's attorney's office.