39 episodes

This is a story about a woman who came to be known as The Horse Queen. She owned hundreds of champion quarter horses on her ranch outside the small city of Dixon, Illinois. And she was also Dixon’s treasurer/comptroller. Yet no one ever thought to ask how she could afford all of those horses on the salary of a civil servant… until the FBI raided City Hall in 2012 and Rita was arrested. For twenty years, Rita Crundwell worked hard to become the world’s largest and most successful quarter horse breeder… while also becoming America’s most prolific municipal embezzler.

Want the full story? Unlock all episodes of the third season of Crooked City: Dixon, IL ad-free right now by subscribing to The Binge. Plus, get binge access to brand new stories dropping on the first of every month — that’s all episodes, all at once, all ad-free.

Just click ‘Subscribe’ on the top of the Crooked City show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you listen.

A truth.media & Sony Music Entertainment production.

Find out more about The Binge and other podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts

Crooked City: Dixon, IL The Binge

    • True Crime
    • 4.5 • 1.6K Ratings

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

This is a story about a woman who came to be known as The Horse Queen. She owned hundreds of champion quarter horses on her ranch outside the small city of Dixon, Illinois. And she was also Dixon’s treasurer/comptroller. Yet no one ever thought to ask how she could afford all of those horses on the salary of a civil servant… until the FBI raided City Hall in 2012 and Rita was arrested. For twenty years, Rita Crundwell worked hard to become the world’s largest and most successful quarter horse breeder… while also becoming America’s most prolific municipal embezzler.

Want the full story? Unlock all episodes of the third season of Crooked City: Dixon, IL ad-free right now by subscribing to The Binge. Plus, get binge access to brand new stories dropping on the first of every month — that’s all episodes, all at once, all ad-free.

Just click ‘Subscribe’ on the top of the Crooked City show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you listen.

A truth.media & Sony Music Entertainment production.

Find out more about The Binge and other podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

    Dixon, IL | 1. Honesty, Integrity, and Hard Work

    Dixon, IL | 1. Honesty, Integrity, and Hard Work

    It’s 1950 and the neighborly people of Dixon gather in their historic theater to watch a movie starring their hometown hero: Ronald Reagan. But this podcast is not about Ronald Reagan…  It’s about the largest municipal fraud in US history.



    Unlock all episodes of Crooked City: Dixon, IL, ad-free, right now by subscribing to The Binge. Plus, get binge access to brand new stories dropping on the first of every month — that’s all episodes, all at once, all ad-free.  



    Just click ‘Subscribe’ on the top of the Crooked City show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you get your podcasts. 



    A truth.media & Sony Music Entertainment production.  



    Find out more about The Binge and other podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts.
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    • 31 min
    Dixon, IL | 2. Her Horses Were Her Life

    Dixon, IL | 2. Her Horses Were Her Life

    Who is Rita Crundwell? Alexa journeys to Dixon to find out.



    Unlock all episodes of Crooked City: Dixon, IL, ad-free, right now by subscribing to The Binge. Plus, get binge access to brand new stories dropping on the first of every month — that’s all episodes, all at once, all ad-free.



    Just click ‘Subscribe’ on the top of the Crooked City show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you get your podcasts.



    A truth.media & Sony Music Entertainment production.



    Find out more about The Binge and other podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 38 min
    Dixon, IL | 3. Good I Will Be

    Dixon, IL | 3. Good I Will Be

    Welcome to Horse World, where Rita Crundwell reigns as queen. She hires Leonard and Leigh Berryhill to train her prized stallion, Good I Will Be.



    Unlock all episodes of Crooked City: Dixon, IL, ad-free, right now by subscribing to The Binge. Plus, get binge access to brand new stories dropping on the first of every month — that’s all episodes, all at once, all ad-free.



    Just click ‘Subscribe’ on the top of the Crooked City show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you get your podcasts.



    A truth.media & Sony Music Entertainment production.



    Find out more about The Binge and other podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 31 min
    Dixon, IL | 4. A Bad Dream

    Dixon, IL | 4. A Bad Dream

    The Dixon City Clerk stumbles across a secret bank account. Mayor Jim Burke calls the Feds.



    Unlock all episodes of Crooked City: Dixon, IL, ad-free, right now by subscribing to The Binge. Plus, get binge access to brand new stories dropping on the first of every month — that’s all episodes, all at once, all ad-free.



    Just click ‘Subscribe’ on the top of the Crooked City show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you get your podcasts.



    A truth.media & Sony Music Entertainment production.



    Find out more about The Binge and other podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 31 min
    Dixon, IL | 5. My Kingdom for a Horse

    Dixon, IL | 5. My Kingdom for a Horse

    Rita Crundwell’s 30-year crime spree comes to an end and Dixon finds out just how much she stole. As the city blames its beloved mayor, Jim Burke struggles to pick up the pieces.



    Unlock all episodes of Crooked City: Dixon, IL, ad-free, right now by subscribing to The Binge. Plus, get binge access to brand new stories dropping on the first of every month — that’s all episodes, all at once, all ad-free.



    Just click ‘Subscribe’ on the top of the Crooked City show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you get your podcasts.



    A truth.media & Sony Music Entertainment production.



    Find out more about The Binge and other podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 34 min
    Dixon, IL | 6. A Good Horse is Hard to Find

    Dixon, IL | 6. A Good Horse is Hard to Find

    On her ranch in Dixon, US Marshals auction off hundreds of Rita’s horses. Leonard and Leigh Berryhill want to buy Good I Will Be.



    Unlock all episodes of Crooked City: Dixon, IL, ad-free, right now by subscribing to The Binge. Plus, get binge access to brand new stories dropping on the first of every month — that’s all episodes, all at once, all ad-free.



    Just click ‘Subscribe’ on the top of the Crooked City show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you get your podcasts.



    A truth.media & Sony Music Entertainment production.



    Find out more about The Binge and other podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 31 min

Customer Reviews

4.5 out of 5
1.6K Ratings

1.6K Ratings

TeamObsolete ,

Emerald City

This was a engaging podcast as the host tries to find the truth behind a robbery and murder under circumstances where there might be many truths or just a lot of lies.

glaciernationalparklover ,

Awful narrator

Terrible narration on Crooked City. Her voice is like an uncomfortable robot. The story is interesting but can’t listen because of her voice.

Bluntslipknot ,

Great Listen!!

Love this podacast

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