A former food service director for an Illinois school district was sentenced to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to stealing $1.5 million worth of 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 placed orders for the chicken wings with a food provider for the district, Gordon Food Services, from July 2020 to February 2022 and billed the district while she kept the food, prosecutors said, according to ABC 7 Chicago.
She was accused of ordering more than 11,000 cases of chicken wings from the food provider and picking up the order in a district cargo van.
ILLINOIS WOMAN CHARGED WITH STEALING $1.5M IN CHICKEN WINGS FROM SCHOOL DISTRICT
Schools were closed during this time due to the pandemic, but the district was still sending meal kits to students learning remotely.
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 invoices for the poultry during a routine mid-year audit last year, according to court documents, which noted that chicken wings typically would not be served to students since they contain bones.
ILLINOIS SCHOOL DISTRICT WORKER ACCUSED OF TAKING $1.5 MILLION IN CHICKEN WINGS: REPORT
The audit revealed that the district's food service department had exceeded its annual budget by $300,000 with half the school year left, according to prosecutors.
Liddell had worked for Harvey School District 152 for more than a decade.
