A school worker has been sentenced to nine years in jail for stealing $1.5 million worth of chicken wings.
A school worker was given a nine-year prison sentence for stealing chicken wings meant for school pupils
Vera Liddell stole the meat intended to go to students learning at home during the coronavirus pandemic and her year-long scheme was only rumbled when a business manager at her school in Illinois found that food costs had soared $300,000 over budget during a routine audit.
Liddell, 68, placed orders for the chicken wings and used a school cargo van to pick the food up but the students never got to eat any of the meat.
A proffer presented at her bond hearing last year read: "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."
She was charged with theft and operating a criminal enterprise in January 2023 and was handed a nine-year jail sentence after pleading guilty.