School employee sentenced to prison for stealing $1.5 million worth of chicken wings | US News
A school worker has been sentenced to nine years in prison for stealing $1.5m (£1.18m) worth of chicken wings.
Vera Liddell’s year-long theft of the flightless birds amounted to 11,000 cases of wings, which were intended for students during the peak of the COVID pandemic, according to prosecutors.
The 68-year-old initiated the scheme in July 2020 and went undetected until a business manager at her school near Chicago discovered that food expenses were $300,000 (£235,000) over budget during a routine audit, as reported by US media.
Liddell purchased the large quantity of food and used a school cargo van to transport it – students never received a single wing.
Due to the pandemic, schools were closed at the time, but the district still provided meal kits to students learning remotely.
Read more from Sky News:
Biden reveals why he pulled out of race
Two astronauts are stuck in space
Liddell, who served as the food service head for 10 years at the district, was initially accused of theft and running a criminal enterprise.
She received a nine-year prison sentence after pleading guilty.