Vera Liddell, a former director of food service for Harvey School District 152 in the Chicago area, admitted to stealing$ 1.5 million worth of chicken wings and was sentenced to nine years in prison.
Liddell, 68, stole more than 11, 000 cases of chicken wings meant for take-home foods for kids doing remote learning from July 2020 to February 2022, according to local TV station WGN.
Liddell’s function as food services director involved placing meals purchases with Gordon Food Services, the district’s primary supplier. During the Covid-19 crisis, Liddell orchestrated an extensive larceny plot by placing hundreds of illegitimate requests for chicken wings and squandering them from the school district’s products between July 2020 and February 2022. These wings were meant to be taken home for students who were studying remotely.
A court filing from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office revealed that” the massive fraud began at the height of Covid during a time when students were not allowed to be physically present in school.” The school district continued to provide meals for the students ‘ families so that even though the children were learning remotely, according to the statement.
The food service department’s midyear budget, which was already$ 300,000, was discovered in January 2022, when a midyear audit revealed the operation. The district’s business manager was prompted to examine the invoices and find unauthorized orders for chicken wings, which are typically not given to students because they contain bones. The chicken wings were never delivered to the students or the school, according to surveillance footage showing Liddell using the district’s cargo vans to collect them.
During a court hearing, Liddell pleaded guilty to the charges, with her lawyer, Patrick O’Byrne, stating,” She feels incredibly distraught, terrible about what she did. She ca n’t even believe she did it”. Liddell reportedly suffers from a gambling problem, which has prevented her from paying restitution.
Chris Jones, a defensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs, offered to pay$ 1.5 million for Liddell’s freedom. In a social media post, Jones wrote,” I’ll pay for the wings that she stole to get her free.” Liddell’s attorneys stated they had not been contacted by Jones or his representatives.
Representatives for Gordon Food Service and Dr. Reginald Lawrence, the superintendent of Harvey School District 152, declined to comment on the situation. During the pandemic, Liddell’s actions continue to resonate, highlighting flaws in oversight and accountability within school districts.
