Biden Pardons Illinois Woman In Largest-Ever Clemency

LA GRANGE, IL – A La Grange woman is one of the 39 Americans who received pardons Thursday from President Joe Biden. Another Illinois woman — convicted of stealing more than $50 million — had her sentence commuted.

The sweeping action was the largest act of clemency in a single day. The 39 pardons were for non-violent crimes, including drug offenses, for people who had "turned their lives around," the White House said.

La Grange resident Diana Bazan Villanueva, 51, was convicted of a non-violent drug offense in her 20s, according to a news release.

In the years since, Villanueva has been a dedicated mother to her children and has worked in payroll and accounts, the White House said.

Villanueva also regularly volunteers at school events, fundraisers and annual autism-related charitable events. She was described by others as warm, reliable and always eager to help.

Besides the pardons, Biden commuted the sentences of 1,500 others, including former Dixon comptroller Rita Crundwell, who stole more than $50 million over 20 years in the role, in what Politico called "the largest municipal fraud in United States history." After pleading guilty to wire fraud in 2012, she was sentenced to nearly 20 years in federal prison.

She was released from prison in 2021 under the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act and placed on home detention, NBC Chicago reported.

Biden also commuted the sentence of Eric Bloom, the former CEO of Northbrook-based Sentinel Management, who defrauded hundreds of customers of more than $665 million. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2015, and was due to be released in May 2026.

Those granted clemency had been serving longer sentences than would have been imposed under more recent laws and practices and were placed on home confinement during the pandemic, and are people who have successfully reintegrated into their communities, Biden said. The full list of those granted clemency can be found here.

The commutations are for people who have served out home sentences for at least one year after they were released from prison. Prisons were uniquely bad for spreading the virus, and some inmates were released in part to stop the spread. At one point, 1 in 5 prisoners had COVID-19, according to a tally kept by The Associated Press.

Biden, whose single term in the White House is coming to an end, said in a statement that his administration will review other clemency petitions in the weeks ahead.