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Former school official accused of embezzling $1.5 million worth of chicken wings
CBS News ^ | January 31, 2023 | CBS News

Posted on 01/31/2023 6:25:51 AM PST by woodbutcher1963

Crime Former school official accused of embezzling $1.5 million worth of chicken wings

January 31, 2023 / 7:27 AM / CBS News

A former official in a school district in the Chicago suburb of Harvey is accused in a bizarre scheme involving more than $1 million worth of stolen chicken wings, CBS Chicago reports.

Vera Liddell is the former director of food services at Harvey School District 152.

The Cook County State's Attorney's office alleges that Liddell launched an embezzlement scheme that resulted in the theft of wings that cost more than $1.5 million in taxpayer money.

The alleged scheme began during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when schools were closed on state order and replaced by virtual learning. Despite the fact that children were learning remotely, the school district was still providing meals for pickup, according to the State's Attorney's office.

From July 2020 until February 2022, Liddell placed hundreds of unauthorized orders for food items – including 11,000 cases of chicken wings for which the district was billed more than $1.5 million – through school district vendor Gordon Food Service, prosecutors said.

The purchases were made separately from the legitimate orders made by the school district, prosecutors said.

Gordon Food Service believed all the purchases were authorized and billed the district for everything, prosecutors said. The district paid the full bills – including the ones for the unauthorized purchases.

But in January 2022, the district business manager conducted a routine mid-year audit and discovered the food service department was more than $300,000 over its annual budget with the school year only about half over, prosecutors said.

A closer review uncovered individual invoices signed by Liddell for absurd quantities of chicken wings, prosecutors said.

Surveillance video showed that Liddell showed up at Gordon Food Service to pick up the food orders and would leave with them in a district cargo van. But the food was never brought to the school or the students, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said it wasn't clear what she did with the chicken wings.

The school district doesn't even serve chicken wings to students because they contain bones, prosecutors said.

District 152 Interim Supt. Lela Bridges issued a statement late Monday saying, "The district cannot comment at this time because of an ongoing investigation. However, we are fully cooperating with the authorities regarding this matter."


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: 2020; 202007; 2022; 202201; 202202; chicago; chickenwings; cookcounty; crime; crookcounty; education; embezzelment; embezzlement; food; gordonfood; gordonfoods; gordonfoodservice; harvey; harveyschooldistrict; illinois; liddell; poultry; schoollunches; stolenwings; wings
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To: SaveFerris; mikey_hates_everything

21 posted on 01/31/2023 6:42:15 AM PST by V_TWIN (America...so great even the people that hate it refuse to leave!)
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To: SaveFerris

22 posted on 01/31/2023 6:45:24 AM PST by gundog (It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. )
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To: woodbutcher1963

Ah man, what do you even say?


23 posted on 01/31/2023 6:46:33 AM PST by riri (There can be no unity with the wicked, their servants, or their slaves.-Vox Day)
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To: woodbutcher1963

If the welfare state ever were to suddenly collapse, many black people would starve to death.


24 posted on 01/31/2023 6:47:05 AM PST by PGR88 (, )
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To: woodbutcher1963

I’m not saying it was right, I’m just saying I understand.


25 posted on 01/31/2023 6:48:09 AM PST by mykroar (what is extraordinarily important is this—who will count the votes, and how. - J0eStalin)
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To: mikey_hates_everything
[That mall had everything!]

Even Stephen Bishop! But he was spinning and his watch had been broken. If only the cops didn't have SCMODS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz81ZO0qfvI
26 posted on 01/31/2023 6:49:06 AM PST by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ......)
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To: metmom

A friend had a party recently, and ordered 40 chicken wings from a well-known pizza joint / Buffalo-wing restaurant in town

It cost him $76 - not even delivered.


27 posted on 01/31/2023 6:50:21 AM PST by PGR88 (, )
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To: V_TWIN

That’s a keeper!


28 posted on 01/31/2023 6:50:44 AM PST by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ......)
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To: gundog

Watch out if Kramer gets covered in butter, oregano and parmesan!

Newman bites!


29 posted on 01/31/2023 6:51:31 AM PST by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ......)
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To: realcleanguy

Administrators are so underpaid—she was starving, man, STARVING!!!


30 posted on 01/31/2023 6:51:41 AM PST by _longranger81
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To: 1Old Pro

Great comment!


31 posted on 01/31/2023 6:52:07 AM PST by Rurudyne (Standup Philosopher)
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To: Robert DeLong

That’s only 10% of the value of the wings. Nice ROI!


32 posted on 01/31/2023 6:52:38 AM PST by bwest
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To: woodbutcher1963

Amateur. A pro would have stolen plenty of blue cheese dressing as well.


33 posted on 01/31/2023 6:55:40 AM PST by noiseman (The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.)
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To: SaveFerris

As to the reasoning behind this, I confess I’m Buffaloed; which would take enough hot sauce to float an elephant.

Maybe she wanted to rise in the pecking order...

But now her chicken wings have come home to roost...

...she was comin’ in on 15 million wings and a prayer...


34 posted on 01/31/2023 6:56:55 AM PST by _longranger81
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Bring back the stockade, and hang a necklace of chicken wings around her neck.


35 posted on 01/31/2023 6:59:28 AM PST by StAnDeliver (Tanned, rested, and ready.)
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To: _longranger81

Maybe her brain was fried.

The wings probably were.


36 posted on 01/31/2023 6:59:29 AM PST by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ......)
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To: woodbutcher1963

That’s going to cause a flap!!!


37 posted on 01/31/2023 6:59:50 AM PST by DannyTN
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To: woodbutcher1963

Dang it. NOW I’m hungry for wings.

And it’s not even 9 a.m. here.

sigh


38 posted on 01/31/2023 7:00:15 AM PST by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ......)
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To: SaveFerris
It’s the parsley that pushes him over the edge.
39 posted on 01/31/2023 7:00:53 AM PST by gundog (It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. )
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To: woodbutcher1963

Quote
Prosecutors said it wasn’t clear what she did with the chicken wings.

They’re chicken to say black market


40 posted on 01/31/2023 7:03:58 AM PST by delchiante
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