Chicago school employee sentenced for stealing over 11,000 cases of chicken wings from district

CHICAGO (TCN) -- A judge sentenced a 68-year-old former school employee to almost a decade in prison for stealing thousands of cases and $1.5 million worth of chicken wings from the school district she worked for.

WLS-TV reports Vera Liddell pleaded guilty on Friday, Aug. 9, to theft and operating a criminal enterprise. She was then sentenced to nine years behind bars.

According to Liddell’s bond proffer shared by WFLD-TV, Liddell previously worked as the director of food services for the Harvey School District 152, and in July 2020, she came on as a consultant. The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office said Liddell "engaged in a pervasive embezzlement scheme which resulted in the theft of over $1.5 million taxpayer funds" and that it began "at the height of COVID during a time when students were not allowed to be physically present in school." The school district, however, provided meals for families to pick up.

Between July 2020 and February 2022, Liddell "placed hundreds of unauthorized orders for food items, primary chicken wings" through the district’s food provider and did it separately from the "legitimate orders."

The provider charged the district for the orders Liddell placed, and the district paid.

The proffer says the district became aware of the purchases during an audit in January 2022. The business manager noticed the food service department was $300,000 over budget despite the fact that the school year was only half over. The manager reportedly saw Liddell’s signature on the invoices for "massive quantities of chicken wings," which raised alarms since the school never served the food because it contained bones.

According to the proffer, Liddell was the sole person ordering food for the district. Employees at the food services company told the state’s attorney’s office they "were all familiar with the defendant due to the massive amount of chicken wings she would purchase."

Liddell would reportedly sign for the food, bill the district, and take the unauthorized purchases in a school district cargo van.

Overall, she reportedly stole over 11,000 cases of chicken wings and spent $1.5 million in taxpayer money.

Liddell was arrested and charged in January 2023.

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