DIXON – Rita Crundwell, who faces up to 20 years in federal prison, is making her case for a lesser sentence.

While ultimately up to the judge, sentences are set in federal court based on guidelines that take a variety of factors into account, including the nature of the crime, how much the defendant cooperates, and his or her criminal history. The federal probation department conducts an investigation and compiles a presentence report, the recommendations of which both sides can argue.

Crundwell’s level of cooperation with federal officials since her April 17 arrest at City Hall has been “extraordinary,” her federal defender, Paul Gaziano, wrote in a sentencing memorandum filed Tuesday.