Your tip
RadarOnlineRadarOnline
or
Sign in with lockrMail
BREAKING NEWS

66-Year-Old Illinois School Worker Charged With Stealing Over $1.5 Million In Chicken Wings

aaaa
Source: mega

Jan. 31 2023, Published 5:30 p.m. ET

Link to FacebookShare to XShare to FlipboardShare to Email
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

A 66-year-old Illinois school district worker was charged for allegedly stealing more than $1.5 million worth of food, mostly chicken wings, from the impoverished district, RadarOnline.com has learned.

Vera Liddell was the food service director for Harvey School District in Harvey, Illinois, outside of Chicago. Authorities claimed the food service director allegedly began stealing from the district in the form of massive food orders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Article continues below advertisement
copy of bbbb
Source: mega

According to the NY Post, prosecutors accused the school worker of using the pandemic-enforced policies by the district to her advantage. Liddell was accused of using district funds to order over 11,00 cases of chicken wings for students. Those cases never made it to school cafeterias.

At the time that the alleged school funds theft began, students were participating in virtual learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic but were able meals to pick up through the district.

Article continues below advertisement
copy of bbbb
Source: mega
Article continues below advertisement

Food scarcity is a crisis for students across the country and was heightened when schools closed during the pandemic, which temporarily prevented thousands of learners from school-provided meals that they depended on for nourishment.

Programs like the Illinois' school district's meal pick-up were intended to alleviate further disruption in student learning by continued access to substances, which was especially crucial to low-income families in the impoverished district.

Court records claimed that due to allegations against Liddell, those meals never made it to students.

MORE ON:
crime

DAILY. BREAKING. CELEBRITY NEWS. ALL FREE.

Article continues below advertisement
copy of bbbb
Source: mega
Article continues below advertisement

"The food was never brought to the school or provided to the students," court records claimed of the alleged chicken wing theft.

Allegations against the district employee were brought to light after the Harvey School District manager conducted an audit in January 2022.

The audit led to a shocking discovery of gross overspending. At just halfway through the academic year, the district's annual food costs were already $300,000 over budget, allegedly due to extreme order quantities prosecutors claimed Liddell placed for herself.

Article continues below advertisement
copy of bbbb
Source: mega
Article continues below advertisement

Prosecutors stated that the auditor "discovered individual invoices signed by Liddell for massive quantities of chicken wings, an item that was never served to students because they contain bones."

Additionally, prosecutors claimed that fellow food service providers' employees knew Liddell's name "due to the massive amount of chicken wings she would purchase."

Liddell was charged and remains in custody at Cook County Jail on a $150,000 bond.

More From Radar Online

    Opt-out of personalized ads

    © Copyright 2024 RADAR ONLINE™️. A DIVISION OF MYSTIFY ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK INC. RADAR ONLINE is a registered trademark. All rights reserved. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Cookies Policy. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services. Offers may be subject to change without notice.