The northern Illinois city has decided to take legal action in response to the Rita Crundwell case. The lawsuit says the accounting firms the city was using should have noticed that millions of dollars had gone missing.
The civil suit names Samuel Card, CPA, and Janis Card Company, LLC, both of Sterling. It says the companies were negligent by not catching the $53 million allegedly stolen by former city comptroller Rita Crundwell. Federal prosecutors have charged Crundwell with wire fraud. They say she stole the money the pay for a lavish lifestyle. She's pleaded not guilty and is due back in court later this week.
As for the civil lawsuit, it seeks to make the firms responsible for paying back the lost money. The two firms named in the complaint have decline to comment on the case. It's possible that other firms could added to the complaint.