Shruti Suman
An Illinois school worker has been sentenced to nine years in prison for stealing 11,000 cases of chicken wings intended for students. Vera Liddell, 68, committed the theft over a 19-month period during the COVID-19 pandemic. Liddell, who served as the food service director for Harvey School District 152, had been with the district for over a decade. The stolen chicken wings, valued at approximately $1.5 million (around ₹12.5 crores), were intended for student meals.
According to prosecutors, Liddell placed orders for chicken wings from Gordon Food Services, a key supplier for the district, between July 2020 and February 2022. She billed the district for the orders but kept the food for herself. As reported by ABC7 Chicago, the fraud occurred during a time when students were learning remotely, though the district continued to provide meals that families could pick up. The stolen food, however, never reached the students. Instead, Liddell used a district cargo van to collect the orders for her own use.
The theft was uncovered during a routine audit, which revealed that the district’s food service department had already exceeded its annual budget by $300,000 halfway through the school year. During the audit, the district’s business manager discovered invoices signed by Liddell for large quantities of chicken wings—an item not served to students due to the presence of bones, according to prosecutors.
Khushi Sikarwar
