The newest true crime series to hit Netflix arrives. The four-part documentary series Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. follows Sarma Melngailis, the former owner of the vegan restaurant Pure Food and Wine in New York City, and her involvement with con artist Anthony Strangis. Let’s dig deep into Where Is Sarma Melngailis Now?
Melngailis gave Strangis almost a million dollars during the duration of their relationship, without receiving any return, and Strangis promised to make all of Melngailis’ fantasies come true, including making her beloved dog everlasting.
After ten months of living under false identities and avoiding detection, the couple finally fled New York.
Testimonials from Melngailis’s family and workers, a surprising celebrity subplot, and regular updates about the lovely pooch Leon—this latest dispatch from the Spring of Scam has it all.
Fans of Melngailis are probably wondering how the ex-restaurant owner is doing now that she appears in the documentary herself. The current whereabouts of the villainous vegan are detailed below.
Who is Sarma Melngailis?
Pure Food and Wine, a vegan restaurant launched by Melngailis in New York in 2005, soon gained notoriety and attracted celebrities like Owen Wilson and Alec Baldwin.
Melngailis’s eatery was featured in a list of the city’s Top 100 Restaurants and was named to Forbes’ annual list of New York’s All-Star Restaurants for five years running.
Everything was going swimmingly for Melngailis until 2011 when she met Anthony Strangis online and the two started dating. Strangis assured Melngailis that he would help her become financially secure, allowing her to open a restaurant without the help of investors, and the couple wed the following year.
However, Strangis rapidly began spending Melngailis’ money on himself, and it was discovered that she had moved $1.6 million from the company’s accounts into her personal bank account.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Melngailis said that Strangis had made numerous other promises to her, including that she would “have access to endless money” and that her dog would “be immortal and safe to be at my side forever.” Strangis’ attorneys, though, insist otherwise.
According to Netflix, Melngailis even claimed that Strangis had told her he was “non-human” and that his body was merely a vessel.
Since Melngailis ran out of money to pay her employees at Pure Food and Wine in 2014, many of them walked off the job the following year. She also contacted past customers, asking for investments and saying she had to take money out of the business to aid her mother.
Melngailis continued to withdraw money from the company on behalf of Strangis even after she had secured further funding and reopened her restaurant.
Where Is Sarma Melngailis Now?
It was reported by The New York Times in 2017 that Melngailis had spent four months in prison after pleading guilty to theft and fraud charges. After Strangis’s release from prison in May 2018, Melngailis filed for divorce. She admitted having an affair with her attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman and was shocked to learn that he was married with children after reading about it in The New York Post.
From March 25-27, 2022, former Pure Food and Wine chefs Nikki Bennett and Missy Maidana will provide a pre-fixe meal from the now-closed restaurant’s kitchen via PostMates, ensuring that her delicious vegan dishes will not be forgotten.
Where Sarma Melngailis Reside?
The New York Post reports that Melngailis and her rescued dog Leon live in Harlem. In spite of Strangis’ assurances to Melngailis, Leon does not appear to be eternal at the present time. Melngailis explained to Tudum of Netflix, “Being in Leon’s company is a great source of stability for me.
When I’m feeling anxious or sad, holding his face and staring into his eyes always helps me calm down. I am, in a sense, trying to reassure myself. Unlike some dogs, ours doesn’t get worried when we leave the house. Leon doesn’t get worried when we’re apart; I do.”
Recently, the lovely pit bull turned 12 years old.
The Plot Of Bad Vegan
As told in Netflix’s latest true crime documentary, Sarma Melngailis was a vegan restaurant owner who catered to New York’s elite and A-list celebrities like Bill Clinton and Katie Holmes, but who was ultimately convicted of fraud.
You can expect a high-quality true crime film from the makers of Tiger King and Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened by director Chris Smith.
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