Chiefs' Chris Jones Willing To Pay $1.5 Million To Spring An Admitted Chicken Wings Thief
The great chicken wing caper has a lot of subplots, but apparently Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones is volunteering to play the hero.
Jones, one of the NFL's best defensive players, has come across the story of the Illinois school system employee who was found to be and convicted of stealing chicken wings from the school system.
Jul 22, 2024; St. Joseph, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) walks down the hill from the locker room to the fields prior to training camp at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
We Talking A Lot Of Wings
And this isn't about a dozen wings, folks. This is 11,000 cases of chicken wings.
Costing $1 million.
Prosecutors in the case against Vera Liddell said she actually embezzled approximately $1.5 million in food altogether over two years. But the great majority of that was wings costing seven figures.
Like, what did this lady do with all the stolen wings? That's one of the aforementioned subplots. This is the main point:
Jones has volunteered to pay the $1.5 million to spring Liddell from jail for her crime.
Crime Was Not A Joke
Liddell, the food service director for school district 152 in the Chicago area, pleaded guilty to the crime last week and was sentenced to nine years in prison.
The massive amount of food she stole at taxpayer expense was meant for children learning at home during the pandemic.
Despite schools being closed and children attending remote class sessions, Liddell placed hundreds of unauthorized orders for food. The food was supposed to be delivered to the children.
In January of 2022, the school district's business manager undertook a mid-year audit, and discovered the food service department was more than $300,000 over its annual budget. This with no children in class and the school year only half over.
Raw chicken wings are placed on Josh Baker’s new Blackstone grill Aug 2, 2024, in Indianapolis, Ind. Baker brined the wings in salt water for 24 hours before cooking them on his griddle.
Schools Don't Serve Wings
Further investigation found Liddell signed dozens of invoices for the food. And surveillance video showed Liddell picking up the food orders at the distributor.
She did this in a clearly marked school district cargo van.
Here's where it all went south for Liddell: The food she picked up never arrived at any schools. And the school district doesn't even serve chicken wings to children, according to prosecutors.
So Liddell is not what one would call a master criminal.
Liddell was booked into the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections on Aug. 9 to begin her nine-year stretch.
So, this is going to make folks feel some kind of way about Jones wanting her out. Not that Jones cares. The Chiefs are a different kind of team and support their players to be themselves.
Jul 26, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor (74) and defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) run drills during training camp at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Fair Punishment Or Miscarriage of Justice?
On the one hand, convicting someone to a nine-year sentence for stealing chicken wings sounds ridiculous. It seems like a miscarriage of justice in that the punishment seems excessive.
But the details of the crime suggest otherwise.
Liddell embezzled $1.5 million of taxpayer money.
The funny fact that she used chicken wings as the vehicle for that embezzlement doesn't change the fact she stole a lot of money from taxpayers. And, caught redhanded, she admitted to the crime.
Also, the fact the food was earmarked for children who never got the meals makes the idea of painting Liddell as some sort of victim a stretch.
We have no idea if Jones studied out the whole situation before volunteering to make the school system whole. Calls to the Cook County State Attorney's office to see if it is even possible for Jones to intervene on Liddell's behalf have so far not been answered.
Maybe, if he feels that strongly about it, Chris Jones can still make the system whole. You know, do it for the kids. And the taxpayers.