Two more Crundwell properties sell

DIXON – Two more properties that once belonged to former Comptroller Rita Crundwell have been sold, one to her brother.

The sales closed Monday, the U.S. Marshals Service said Thursday.

Richard Humphrey Sr., Crundwell's brother, bought the house and 40 acres of farmland at 1403 Dutch Road for $610,001.

Dixon residents Wesley and Tammi Sherman bought the house at 1679 U.S. Route 52 for $400,000.

Crundwell's nephew, Richard's son Justin, lived in the Dutch Road home, while Richard farmed the land, said Jason Wojdylo, chief inspector for the U.S. Marshals Service's asset forfeiture division.

Wojdylo said it is likely Justin will continue to live there and Richard will keep farming the land. Richard owns 40 acres of farmland adjacent to the property.

Sauk Valley Media was unable to reach Richard for comment. The Shermans did not return phone calls.

All four of Crundwell's Lee County properties now have been sold, for a total of $3,415,376. Wojdylo said real estate agents are being interviewed this week for Crundwell's vacation home in Englewood, Fla. – the lone property left to be sold.

The sale of 1403 Dutch Road was not the only property bought by one of Crundwell's relatives.

The quarter horse ranch owned by Crundwell on Red Brick Road was sold to nephew Richard Humphrey Jr. and his wife, Brenda, for $1,134,375.

Longtime farmers Mark and Gloria Nusbaum of M&R Farms bought 81 acres of farmland on Nachusa Road for $1.271 million.

"Included in the terms was a list of people prohibited from submitting offers for any of the properties," Wojdylo said. "It is important that the public does not assume guilt by association. Based on our review, the buyers met the criteria for purchasing the property."

The list includes anyone employed by the U.S. Marshals Service and anyone acting in concert with or on behalf of anybody on that prohibited list, including Crundwell, Wojdylo said.

For the four properties, the sales contracts required the buyers to satisfy delinquent property taxes payable to the county treasurer for a total of $33,203,38. The buyers also paid closing costs customarily paid by the seller totaling $7,120.

Marshals also avoided the expense of real estate commissions, which would have amounted to a little more than $200,000, totaling about $250,000 saved in the sales process.

The properties were just some of many forfeited Crundwell assets sold, including her herd of 400 quarter horses, jewelry and furniture. Marshals estimate about $10 million will return to Dixon from these sales.

Crundwell was sentenced to 19 years, 7 months in prison on Feb. 14 after pleading guilty last year to one count of federal wire fraud. She admitted to stealing nearly $54 million in city funds over two decades.

She is in Boone County Jail until the Bureau of Prisons assigns her a prison. Earlier this week, Crundwell's attorneys appealed her sentence.