A former school cafeteria worker in Chicago has been sentenced to nine years in prison after being caught stealing $1.5 million worth of chicken wings over several years.

According to prosecutors, Vera Liddell, who worked for a local school district, took advantage of her position to place fraudulent food orders, including massive quantities of chicken wings, which were never intended for student meals.

Authorities uncovered the scheme during a routine audit, which revealed that thousands of pounds of chicken wings had been ordered but never delivered to the schools. Investigators later found that Liddell had been diverting the food for personal use or resale, ultimately costing the school district millions of dollars.

“The scale of this theft is staggering,” officials stated. “This was money meant to provide meals for students, and instead, it was exploited for personal gain.”

Liddell pleaded guilty to theft and financial fraud charges and was handed a 9-year prison sentence.

Authorities have warned that more oversight will be implemented in school food procurement processes to prevent similar fraud in the future.