What a clucking shame.

An Illinois school worker will spend the next nine years in prison after she stole 11,000 cases of chicken wings worth $1.5 million that were meant for students during the height of the COVID pandemic, prosecutors said.

Vera Liddell used her position as the food service director at Harvey School District 152 to carry out the unappetizing crime that was only unearthed after the district realized the school system blew past its budget, prosecutors reportedly said.

Liddell, 68, started the scheme in July 2020 and didn’t stop until February 2022, the Cook County State Attorney’s Office said, according to ABC 7 Chicago.

While she bought up the incredible amount of poultry and used a school cargo van to pick up the food, students never saw a single wing, prosecutors said, per WGN.

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.

She was originally charged with theft and operating a criminal enterprise in January 2023.

  • Fredselfish@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    She literally was straving kids and it took them almost 3 years to catch her doing it? Something doesn’t add up. What the fuck she doing with all the wings?

    • NegativeInf@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      The final destination of the wings doesn’t seem to be disclosed at this time?

      My guess is she sold them. That’s typically what happens when people steal mass quantities of meat.

  • ChicoSuave@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Who would buy thousands of cases of raw chicken with no questions asked? There are so many details that are begging for discovery.

    • tehevilone@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      I worked in food at the time, and I am absolutely not surprised someone bought those wings. Wing prices jumped to almost triple what they were per case at once point, because Tyson kept having production issues and they’re the main supplier in the region.

  • Alexstarfire@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    What school has chicken wings on the menu? I feel cheated.

    Though, maybe that’s for the best. These are almost certainly baked and probably aren’t even as good as a pizza chain’s, which are… subpar.