“School Staff Member Receives 9-Year Prison Sentence for Stealing Chicken Wings Worth Ksh. 193 million”

Involving a former employee of a school in Chicago, Illinois, a substantial theft case has come to a close with a nine-year prison sentence handed down. The crime involved the embezzlement of chicken wings worth $1.5 million (approximately Ksh. 193 million) from the school district throughout the COVID-19 pandemic peak.

Between July 2020 and February 2022, 68-year-old Vera Liddell, who had been working as the food service director for Harvey School District 152 for a decade, illicitly ordered in excess of 11,000 cases of chicken wings. These orders were placed with Gordon Food Services, the main provider of the school’s food supplies, and were collected by Liddell using a district-owned cargo van. This occurred despite the fact that the students were participating in remote learning due to the pandemic, although the district continued its food provision service for students’ families.

The case came to light in 2023 when an audit revealed a $300,000 (Ksh. 38 million) excess in the food service department’s budget. A closer look at the financial records highlighted invoices for chicken wings, an unusual purchase given the item’s unsuitability for student meals due to the bones. This led to a deeper investigation into the extensive buying activities of Liddell.

Liddell confessed to her actions on August 9, resulting in her receiving a sentence of nine years. Her fraudulent activities were primarily exposed through a business manager’s inquiry into the abnormal budget increase, which ultimately traced back to Liddell’s unprecedented acquisition of chicken wings.

At her bond hearing in 2023, the court was informed, “The massive fraud began at the height of COVID during a time when students were not allowed to be physically present in school,” adding, “Even though the children were learning remotely, the school district continued to provide meals for the students that their families could pick up.”

Liddell faced charges of theft and managing a criminal operation as details of her misconduct emerged, laying bare a significant breach of trust and financial manipulation within the school district.