marcia freeman breaks and trains horses near crundwell's home in illinois and remembers crundwell's early years in the industry in the mid-'80s. >> at that point, i think she was just like the regular horse person, showing -- showing horses as a hobby, which would involve moving in on a thursday, showing horses friday, saturday, sunday, and returning back home and going back to a normal job and work week. >> narrator: but crundwell takes this more seriously than a weekend hobby. in 1990, she starts her own horse-breeding business named rc quarter horses, llc. there's only one problem. >> showing horses is an expensive hobby, so you're gonna need to have some start-up cash to do it correctly. >> narrator: with her humble background, crundwell doesn't have enough money to support the boarding, medical care, transportation, and trainers necessary for a world-class breeding program. but, as dixon's comptroller, large amounts of cash pass through her hands every day. according to assistant u.s. attorney joe pedersen, on december 18, 1990, crundwell crosses a line that will change her life and