A former food service director for Illinois’ Harvey School District 152 was sentenced to nine years in prison last week after pleading guilty to stealing $1.5 million worth of chicken wings during the height of the COVID pandemic. Between July 2020 and February 2022, Vera Liddell, now 68, placed orders with the district’s food provider, ordering more than 11,000 cases of chicken wings that were billed to the district but never served to students.
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The school district’s business manager uncovered Liddell’s culinary crimes during a routine mid-year audit in 2023 when it was discovered that the food service department had gone $300,000 over budget. Court documents also note that the purloined poultry products contained bones, which would normally not be served to students.
According to district officials, meals ordered during the COVID pandemic were intended to be delivered to low-income students attending school remotely because of the lockdown.
Related: Ohio Supreme Court Rules that “Boneless Chicken Wings” Can Contain Bones
Liddell was charged with theft and operating a criminal enterprise in January 2023. She pled guilty to the charges on Friday ahead of a nine-year sentence. It is unclear what became of the chicken wings after they were delivered.
Connor Walcott is a staff writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
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