Why Did This Chicago Woman Cross the Road? To Steal $1.5 MILLION in Chicken Wings!
A Chicago woman stole over a million dollars worth of chicken wings in a jaw-dropping school district scam that’ll leave you speechless! 🌐 #News #ChicagoIL #Illinois #Crime
Ain’t No Thing Like a Chicken Wing!
CHICAGO, IL – A woman from Dolton, Illinois, has been sentenced to nine years in prison for orchestrating a massive food theft scheme that defrauded a south suburban school district of more than $1.5 million. The woman, Vera Lidell, 68, served as the Director of Food Services for Harvey School District 152 at the time of the crime.
The Village of Dolton has been making headlines a lot lately with the missing Mayor and its ex-top cop busted by the Feds.
The Crime: Unauthorized Food Orders
Between July 2020 and February 2022, Lidell placed hundreds of unauthorized food orders with the district’s primary supplier, Gordon Food Service.
These orders included approximately 11,000 cases of chicken wings, which were placed separately from the district’s legitimate food orders. The orders were billed to the school district, which unknowingly paid for the stolen goods.
COVID-19 and the Cover of Remote Learning
The fraudulent activity began during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when students were learning remotely.
Although students were not physically present in schools, the district continued to provide meals for families to pick up. Lidell exploited this situation, placing large orders for food items, under the guise that they were for the students’ meals.
Discovery of the Scheme
The theft came to light in January 2022 during a routine mid-year audit conducted by the district’s business manager. The audit revealed that the food service department had exceeded its annual budget by more than $300,000, even though the school year was only halfway through.
A closer examination of the invoices showed that Lidell had signed off on large quantities of chicken wings, a food item never served to students due to the presence of bones.
The Aftermath and Sentencing
Gordon Food Service employees noted that Lidell was well-known to them because of the unusually large orders of chicken wings she frequently placed.
Surveillance footage from the supplier’s facility further confirmed that Lidell would often arrive early in the morning to pick up the orders, using one of the school district’s cargo vans to transport the stolen food.
In January 2023, Lidell was charged with felony theft, continuing a financial crime enterprise, and forgery. After pleading guilty, she was sentenced to nine years in prison in a Cook County courtroom on Friday.
Impact on the Community
The theft not only resulted in a significant financial loss for Harvey School District 152 but also raised concerns about the oversight and management of public funds. The district has since reviewed and revised its internal controls to prevent a similar incident from happening in the future.
This case highlights the importance of rigorous auditing and monitoring processes in public institutions, especially during times of crisis when opportunities for fraud may be heightened.
Reminder: All parties are considered innocent before proven guilty. Photo courtesy: Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
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