$1.5M Worth Of Stolen Chicken Wings Got A School Worker 9 Years In The Coop

Everyone makes mistakes with Buffalo wings, like prepping them incorrectly or using too much sauce, but this story takes things to an entirely different level. Vera Liddell, the former food service director for Harvey School District 152 in south suburban Chicago, has pleaded guilty to a crime that's as audacious as it is bizarre. Over the course of 19 months, Liddell stole $1.5 million worth of chicken wings. As a result, she's been sentenced to nine years in prison. Liddell, who served the district for over a decade, decided to use her position to hatch a plan for what can only be described as an epic poultry heist. Between July 2020 and February 2022, she ordered truckloads of wings from Gordon Food Services, billing the school but stashing the goods for herself.

So, how did no one notice nearly two years' worth of rogue wing shipments? The answer, it seems, lay in timing. According to prosecutors, Liddell launched her operation at the height of the pandemic, when students were learning remotely. With the district still providing meals for pick-up, Liddell saw an opportunity to sneak the wings past the goalpost. However, there was a major hitch in her plan: Chicken wings aren't on the school cafeteria menu because they contain bones, a choking hazard for children.

It wasn't until the district's food service department blew past its annual budget by $300,000 halfway through the school year that something didn't smell right. A business manager found invoices for the missing wings, marking the end of Vera Liddell's wing-hoarding spree. Liddell was charged with theft and operating a criminal enterprise in January 2023. On Friday, August 9, 2024, she pleaded guilty and received a nine-year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

But just when you thought this tale couldn't get more bizarre, in steps Chris Jones, defensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs and apparent wing philanthropist. After all, chicken wings are more nutritious than you thought, as they contain plenty of protein and vitamins. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Jones offered to cover the cost of the stolen wings in a bizarre bid to free Liddell from prison. "I'll pay for the wings that she stole to get her free," Jones declared on August 13, apparently hoping his gesture could cut Liddell's sentence short. Whether or not Jones will successfully wing it remains to be seen, but one thing's for sure, the saga of Vera Liddell is a reminder that crime doesn't pay. Rest assured, embezzlement isn't among our life-changing chicken wing hacks, but cooking with cola and double-frying definitely are.