An Illinois woman is facing theft charges after being accused of stealing more than $1.5 million worth of food, particularly chicken wings, from the Chicago-area school district where she worked.

Vera Liddell was the food service director for Harvey School District 152, located just south of Chicago, when she mainly stole 11,000 cases of chicken wings over a 19-month period, according to court records reviewed by WGN-TV.

The 66-year-old is facing felony charges of continuing financial crimes enterprise and theft exceeding $1,000,000, according to a proffer filed in Cook County Circuit Court and reviewed by WMAQ-TV, the NBC affiliate for Chicago.

“The massive fraud began at the height of COVID during a time when students were not allowed to be physically present in school,” reads a proffer presented at Ms. Liddell’s bond hearing, per WGN. “Even though the children were learning remotely, the school district continued to provide meals for the students that their families could pick up.”

Between July 2020 and February 2022, Ms. Liddell is accused of placing hundreds of unauthorized orders for food items from the school district’s main supplier, Gordon Food Services. The food supplier billed the school district believing that Ms. Liddell had the authority to place the orders, despite them coming separately from the district’s main orders.

It wasn’t until the school system conducted a routine mid-year audit last January that its business manager discovered the district was $300,000 over its food budget.

“Massive quantities of chicken wings, an item that was never served to students because they contain bones” was found during the audit, according to prosecutors.

More than 80% of the school district’s 1,600 students qualify as “low income,” per WGN.

She is currently being held at the Cook County jail on a $150,000 bond.

• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.