Vera Liddell, a 68-year-old food service director at Harvey School District 152 in Illinois, USA, has been sentenced to nine years in prison for stealing 11,000 cases of chicken wings valued at $1.5 million.

The stolen chicken wings were intended for students during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The crime, which took place between July 2020 and February 2022, was uncovered when the school district noticed a significant budget overrun.

According to prosecutors, Liddell used her position to carry out the theft, which involved using a school cargo van to pick up the food.

Despite the large quantity of chicken wings purchased, students never received any of it.

"Vera Liddell's actions represent abuse of her position and raise serious concerns about oversight and financial controls within school districts," said a spokesperson from the Cook County State Attorney’s Office.

Liddell, who had served as the food service head for ten years, pleaded guilty to the charges. She was initially charged with theft and operating a criminal enterprise in January 2023.

The scheme was discovered during a routine audit when a school business manager found that food costs were $300,000 over budget, even though there were still months left in the school year.

"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," prosecutors explained.

This made the budget overrun even more suspicious and led to further investigation.