Illinois School Worker Sentenced for $1.5M Chicken Wing Theft

Vera Liddell, former food service director, orchestrated a massive fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a nine-year prison term.

Liddell stole over 11,000 cases of chicken wings meant for students learning remotely.
The scheme ran from July 2020 to February 2022, using school funds and a district cargo van.
An audit uncovered the theft after the food service department exceeded its budget by $300,000.
Liddell had been the sole person responsible for placing and picking up the orders.
She pleaded guilty to theft and operating a criminal enterprise in August 2024.