She must have been very hungry because 1.5 million dollars worth of chicken is a lot!

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Harvey Illinois

A school district near Chicago has been charged in the theft of $1.5 million worth of food, most of it being chicken wings.

Who Did It?

On Monday, 66-year-old Vera Liddell was being held in the Cook County Jail on a $150,000 bond.

Vera Liddell - Cook County Jail
Vera Liddell - Cook County Jail
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Liddell worked as a food service director for the Harrvey School District 152.

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What Happened?

Court documents revealed that more than 11,000 cases of chicken wings were ordered from the district’s food provider and then picked up in a district cargo van.

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When Did This Happen?

During the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, students were being educated at home and not allowed to attend class in the school buildings. However, the district continued to provide meals for students that their parents could pick up.

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Prosecutors say that during this time, a massive amount of chicken wings were ordered using district funds, but were never served to students 

How Did They Find Out?

Every mid-year, a routine audit takes place, and this time it found that the district was $300,000 over its annual food service budget, despite being only halfway through that academic year.

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The district's business manager discovered signed invoices for "massive quantities of chicken wings, an item that was never served to students because they contain bones,” prosecutors said.

According to WGN-TV, more than 80% of the 1,600 students attending the district's five schools qualify as low-income.

In Custody

The case was investigated by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office and Liddell was charged with theft.  She’s in custody at the Cook County Jail with a $150,000 bond.

Read More Here: Fox2Now

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