A former food service director for one Illinois School District was sentenced to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to stealing $1.5 million in chicken wings that were supposed to go to students during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
Vera Liddell, 68, was working for Harvey School District 152 when she ordered the chicken wings from a district food supplier, Gordon Food Services, from July 2020 to February 2022 and billed the district while keeping the food, prosecutors said. , according to ABC 7 Chicago.
She was accused of ordering more than 11,000 cases of chicken wings from the caterer and picking up the order in a district truck.
ILLINOIS WOMAN ARRESTED FOR STEALING $1.5M IN CHICKEN WINGS FROM SCHOOL DISTRICT
Vera Liddell, 68, was sentenced to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to stealing $1.5 million worth of chicken wings. (Cook County Sheriff’s Office)
Schools were closed during this time due to the pandemic, but the district still sent food packages to students distance learning.
Liddell was charged with theft and operating a criminal enterprise in January 2023.
The scheme was discovered when the district’s business manager found the poultry invoices during a routine semiannual audit last year, according to court documents, which noted that chicken wings usually not served to students because they contain bones.
ILLINOIS SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEE ACCUSED OF TAKING $1.5 MILLION IN CHICKEN WINGS: REPORT
Vera Liddell was accused of ordering more than 11,000 cases of chicken wings from the district food supplier and picking up the order in a district truck. (Cook County State Attorney’s Office)
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The audit revealed that the district’s food service department had exceeded its annual budget by $300,000 with half of the school year remaining, according to prosecutors.
Liddell had worked for Harvey School District 152 for more than a decade.