DIXON – While she was comptroller, Rita Crundwell transferred money out of the police and fire pension funds to pay city bills, the Dixon mayor said Thursday.

Two interim comptrollers hired following Crundwell’s arrest and subsequent firing discovered the financial irregularity after members of the pension board brought up concerns, Mayor Jim Burke said.

Crundwell is charged with one count of federal wire fraud in connection with what prosecutors say was the misappropriation of $53 million in city funds over the past two decades. She pleaded not guilty on May 7 and has a status hearing scheduled for June 15.