Kansas City Chiefs star Chris Jones has offered to pay $1.5 million for chicken wings to help free Vera Lidell, an Illinois school worker imprisoned for stealing that amount in food from a school district.
Lidell, who ordered an extra 11,000 cases of chicken wings, stole $1.5 million worth of food from the Harvey School District in Dolton, Illinois. Jones does not appear to have any prior connection to Lidell.
The extra orders were allegedly placed between October 2020 and February 2022. Local police believe Lidell acted alone in the chicken-wing theft scheme, according to Daily Mail.
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She pleaded guilty earlier this month to charges of theft and operating a criminal enterprise, according to ABC7. Lidell, 66, has since been sentenced to nine years in prison after working for the school district for over a decade before her arrest.
“I’ll pay for the wings that she stole to get her free,” Jones said on X.
The school worker’s role involved placing food orders for the school district with Gordon Food Services. Court documents noted that chicken wings, which have bones, are not typically served to students.
An audit revealed that the district’s food service department had exceeded its annual budget by $300,000 halfway through the year, which led to Lidell’s arrest.
Jones signed a 5-year contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs in March, valued at $158.75 million, with $95 million guaranteed.
