Vera Liddell, a former food service director at an Illinois school district was sentenced to nine years in jail after pleading guilty to stealing $1.5 million worth of chicken wings intended for pupils during the coronavirus pandemic.
Liddell, 68, was employed by Harvey School District 152 when she placed orders for chicken wings with the district’s food provider, Gordon Food Services, from July 2020 to February 2022 and billed the district while keeping the food, prosecutors say, according to ABC 7 Chicago.
She was accused of placing an order for over 11,000 cases of chicken wings with the food provider and picking them up in a district cargo van.
Schools were closed due to the pandemic, but the district continued distributing meal kits to children learning remotely.
Liddell was charged with theft and running a criminal enterprise in January 2023.
According to court filings, the scam was discovered when the district’s business manager discovered the poultry invoices during a standard mid-year audit last year. The documents also stated that chicken wings are not typically offered to pupils because they contain bones.
According to prosecutors, the audit indicated that the district’s food service department had spent $300,000 more than its yearly budget with half of the school year remaining.
Liddell had been with Harvey School District 152 for more than a decade.
