NFL Player Offers to Cover $1.5M in Stolen Chicken Wings to Free Suburban Woman

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 05: Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs stands on stage during Super Bowl LVIII Opening Night at Allegiant Stadium on February 05, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)

A former Chicago school district director convicted of stealing $1.5 million worth of chicken wings has received a potential second chance from an unexpected source: Kansas City Chiefs player Chris Jones.

Jones has offered to reimburse Harvey School District 152 the $1.5 million to cover the stolen wings on one condition: the wing thief, Vera Liddell, is released from Cook County Jail. In a social media message posted on Tuesday, the defensive tackle writes, “I’ll pay for the wings that she stole to get her free.”

Liddell, 68, has been convicted of using her position to order 11,000 cases of chicken wings on the district’s dime between July 2020 and February 2022 – during the COVID pandemic. The food was intended to be used for take-home meals for students learning remotely, district officials say, but according to news reports Liddell re-sold the chicken to feed a gambling addiction.

There’s no word on whether authorities are considering Jones’ offer.

People Magazine has a great write up with all the legal details.