Comptroller, horse lady and crook, Part 1 of 2

As the comptroller for the small town of Dixon, Ill., since 1983, Rita Crundwell managed all financial aspects of the city funds, including transferring money between accounts, writing checks and authorizing payments. Her salary was $80,000 per year, but she enjoyed a lavish lifestyle and was a nationally known horse breeder. After a city clerk found a problem in the city's accounts, the mayor contacted the FBI. Six months later, agents arrested Crundwell. She has pleaded not guilty to misappropriating more than $53 million in city funds.

Rita Humphrey was 17 when she began working for the Dixon, Ill., city hall in 1970 as part of a work program for high school students. She was an honor roll student, a homecoming attendant and had participated in 4-H activities. After graduating, she had planned to attend a community college, but she stayed at city hall and became a clerk. In 1971, she won second place in a halter horse category at the county fair and her passion for equines grew. Her family once showed and bred horses, and she wanted to revive the family's name.

On Oct. 12, 1974, Rita married Jerry Crundwell. The marriage lasted nearly 12 years, but she filed for divorce in April of 1986, citing mental abuse and alleging that the couple engaged in frequent arguments. A judge granted the divorce two months later.

RITA THE COMPTROLLER