A Chicago,US based cafeteria worker is facing a strict prison term after conducting a bizarre heist of chicken wings worth $1.5 million (approximately Rs 12 crore). Vera Liddell, who managed the food services for Harvey School District 152, has been found guilty in the crime. The WGNTV reports reveal that the woman was charged with theft and running a criminal operation, as a result she’s now facing a nine year prison sentence. During the pandemic, when many students were learning remotely, Liddell allegedly ordered over 11,000 cases of chicken wings using the school district’s cargo van for the operation, between August and November 2021. However, the food items never reached the students.
The district’s business manager exposed the theft during a routine mid-year audit, who noticed that the district had overspent close to $300,000 (approximately Rs 2 crore) in its annual food budget. Interim Superintendent Lela Bridges mentioned that Liddell had joined them just a week ago when the thefts were discovered. CCTV footage revealed that she frequently arrived before the store was opened to collect the orders. Following the discovery, Liddell is currently being held at Cook County Jail with a $150,000 (approximately Rs 1 crore) bond.SS
A school worker has been jailed for nine years after stealing $1.5m (£1.18m) worth of chicken wingsRead more ???? https://t.co/IBRnK8J4yw
— Sky News (@SkyNews) August 12, 2024
During the case hearing, prosecutors said, “The massive fraud began at the height of COVID during a time when students were not allowed to be physically present in school. Even though the children were learning remotely, the school district continued to provide meals for the students that their families could pick up. The food was never brought to the school or provided to the students. She discovered individual invoices signed by Liddell for massive quantities of chicken wings, an item that was never served to students because they contain bones.”
Court records show that workers from Gordon Food Service, the district’s food supplier, knew Vera Liddell well because she was buying an unusual quantity of chicken wings. While it is unclear what happened to the large quantities of food items, the court described her scheme as a “massive fraud.” The district, which includes five schools, serves around 1,600 students. Among them, more than 80% of these students are from low-income families.
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