School Employee Allegedly Steals $1.5 Million Worth of Chicken Wings During COVID-19 Pandemic


School worker accused of stealing $1.5 million in chicken wings during COVID-19 pandemic

An employee at a Chicago school district in the US has been apprehended for allegedly stealing $1.5 million worth of food, primarily consisting of chicken wings, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vera Liddell, aged 66, who worked as the food service director for the Harvey School District, is currently detained in the Cook County Jail on a $150,000 bond as reported by WGN-TV.

School worker accused of stealing $1.5 million in chicken wings during COVID-19 pandemic

According to court documents reviewed by the television station, more than 11,000 cases of chicken wings were ordered and picked up in a district cargo van during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During this time, while students were engaged in remote learning, the district continued to provide meals for parents to collect.

District funds were supposedly utilized to procure the food, however, it was never distributed to the students.

An audit conducted mid-year revealed that the district had exceeded its annual food service budget by $300,000.

The district’s business manager uncovered signed invoices for “significant quantities of chicken wings, an item that was never served to students due to their bone content,” as per prosecutors.

As reported by The Associated Press, out of the 1,600 students in the district, over 80% are from low-income households.


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