ROCKFORD – A longtime bookkeeper pleaded guilty Wednesday to allegations she embezzled more than $50 million from Dixon to fund a lavish lifestyle that included a nationally known horse-breeding operation.

Rita Crundwell, the former comptroller of Dixon, pleaded guilty to a charge of wire fraud in federal court in Rockford. She was allowed to remain free until her Feb. 14 sentencing hearing. Prosecutors have said she stole public money while overseeing the city's finances and siphoned it into a secret bank account.

Crundwell did not speak during the hearing and left the courthouse without speaking to reporters. Her lawyer gave a brief statement that emphasized her cooperation with prosecutors.