In a bizarre turn of events, Illinois school worker, Vera Liddell has been sentenced to nine years in prison for orchestrating the theft of a whopping $1.5 million worth of chicken wings. The shocking case has left many scratching their heads in disbelief and pondering the motivations behind such a brazen crime.
The story of Vera Liddell, a former Illinois school district employee, reads like something out of a Hollywood heist movie. Over several years, Liddell managed to pilfer a jaw-dropping amount of chicken wings from the school’s cafeteria supply. The sheer audacity and scale of the theft have earned her notoriety as one of the most prolific food thieves in recent memory.
Vera Liddell used her position as the food service director at Harvey School District 152 to carry out the unappetizing crime that was only unearthed after the district realized the school system blew past its budget, prosecutors reportedly said.
Liddell, 68, started the scheme in July 2020 and didn’t stop until February 2022, the Cook County State Attorney’s Office said, according to ABC 7 Chicago.
While she bought up the incredible amount of poultry and used a school cargo van to pick up the food, students never saw a single wing, prosecutors said, per WGN.
Schools were closed, but the district near Chicago was still sending out meal kits to students in remote learning during the height of the pandemic.
She was originally charged with theft and operating a criminal enterprise in January 2023.
Liddell, who was food service head for 10 years at the district, took a guilty plea in the case before she received the nine-year prison sentence, WGN reported.
A school business manager found food costs were $300,000 over budget even though there were still months left in the school year during a routine audit that led to Liddell’s arrest.
As the saga of Vera Liddell and the missing chicken wings continues to unfold, it serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of greed and dishonesty. It also serves as a reminder of the importance of transparency and accountability in all facets of public service.
