by CBS4 Newsroom
newsroom@cbs4qc.com
Rita Crundwell cried on the stand before a Federal judge sentenced her to 235 months, almost twenty years, in prison.
Crundwell said she was truly sorry for what she had done.
The judge admonished her before sentencing, calling her theft "massive stealing", saying what she did harmed the City of Dixon and its citizens just to support her lavish lifestyle.
He said she had "greater passion for horses than the people of Dixon".
Crundwell will serve her time in a Federal prison near Beloit, Wisconsin. With good behavior she will be 77 years old when she gets out.
In addition to the 235 months she will also have to serve three years of supervised release once she is set free.