(TheRedAlertNews.com) – In a large-scale criminal scheme that sounds bizarre but has been exposed as particularly brazen, a former school district service chief has been slapped with a hefty prison sentence for stealing $1.5 million worth of chicken wings.
Vera Liddell, aged 66, formerly the food service director for Harvey School District 152 located in the southern suburbs of Chicago, has entered a guilty plea to accusations of embezzling chicken wings valued at approximately $1.5 million.
This extensive theft occurred over a period of 19 months, as indicated by court documents, ABC7 Chicago reports.
Liddell, who had been employed by the district for over a decade, has received a sentence of nine years in prison following her admission of guilt.
In January 2023, Liddell faced charges of theft and managing a criminal enterprise.
She was accused of systematically ordering chicken wings from July 2020 to February 2022 through Gordon Food Services, which was the primary provider for the school district.
Despite the district being billed for these orders, the food was never intended for school use, as stated by the prosecutors.
The financial discrepancies came to light when an audit conducted last year revealed that the food service department of the district had surpassed its allocated annual budget by $300,000, with the fiscal year only at its midpoint.
Further investigations led the district’s business manager to discover invoices specifically for the chicken wings, the court records revealed.
It is noted that chicken wings, which contain bones, are generally not included in student meals, highlighting the irregular nature of these purchases.
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