Anna Delvey, Elizabeth Holmes and Billy McFarland are all names burned into the collective zeitgeist for their stranger than fiction tales of scheming, scamming and defrauding.
Now, Netflix is adding Sarma Melngailis to that list thanks to their upcoming docuseries Bad Vegan.
As the name suggests, Sarma was once the embodiment of the raw vegan lifestyle, owning two successful restaurants in the New York food scene before facing allegations of fraud, theft and grand larceny.
Melngailis was ultimately brought to justice by a Domino’s pizza.
Here, we break down everything you need to know about the convicted felon, from her rise to fame, celebrity clientele and the unbelievable true story of how it all came crashing down.
Who Is Sarma Melngailis?
Sarma Melngailis is a 49-year-old vegan restaurateur turned fraudster and fugitive, convicted of stealing over $1 million from investors and employees.
Melngailis’ popular Manhattan restaurant Pure Food & Wine was once regularly frequented by Hollywood royalty including Alec Baldwin, Anne Hathaway and Rooney Mara.
In fact, Vanity Fair reports that Baldmin met his wife Hilaria at the famed establishment back in 2011.
Melngailis also operated One Lucky Duck Juice and Takeaway, a juice bar near Pure Food & Wine in Gramercy Park.
Then Sarma’s life changed forever when she met her husband Anthony Strangis in 2011.
As many modern romances begin, Sarma and Anthony met on Twitter. Unbeknownst to Sarma, Anthony had a sordid past of failed relationships, gambling addictions and allegations of manipulation and theft.
As their relationship and eventual marriage went on, Sarma fell under his guise.
Per Vanity Fair, Anthony promised Sarma “enough money to become independent of meddling investors… and pay of her debts” and convinced her she’d “be empowered” in ways Sarma couldn’t imagine.
Part of this alleged empowerment included Anthony claiming Sarma’s dog Leon “would be immortal” along with reportedly telling Sarma an unnamed sibling was “watching them” and that she would have to “pass tests” in order to reap the monetary and emotional gains he promised her.
Over the course of their five year relationship, Sarma transferred more than $1.6 million from her business account into her personal account. Anthony allegedly spent $1.2 million of her intended business funds at various casinos.
During this time, Sarma’s employees at Pure Food & Wine had stopped receiving payment for their work.
Both Sarma and Anthony were ultimately accused by the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office for stealing almost $2 million from investors and employees.
The New York Post reported the pair stole “$844,000 from investors, failing to pay $400,000 in sales tax and shortchanging employees by more than $40,000 in wages”.
Sarma didn’t pay her debts or her employees, instead allegedly spending the money with Anthony on expensive luxury items and exclusive trips before going on the run.
How Did Sarma Melngalis Get Caught?
In May of 2016, Sarma and Anthony were arrested on fugitive-from-justice warrants at a Tennessee hotel. Vanity Fair reports that the couple were holed up there for over 40 days, before a junk food order ultimately led them to get caught.
Reports claim that an non-raw order from Domino’s Pizza led to their arrest, with Anthony placing the order under his real name as opposed to an alias.
In 2017, the New York Post reported Sarma pleaded guilty to “charges of grand larceny, criminal tax fraud and a scheme to defraud in exchange for five years’ probation and a split six-month sentence”.
Sarma also claimed that she was the victim of “coercive control” and, despite pleading guilty, was manipulated by Anthony to steal the money. Anthony’s lawyers denied all claims.
Sarma consequently served four months in prison.
Where Is Sarma Melngalis Now?
Sarma has served her prison sentence and still lives in New York with her (non-immortal) dog Leon. Sarma filed for divorce from Anthony in May of 2018 and they are not currently in contact.
Sarma also maintains an active Instagram page. You can find her at @sarmamelngailis, where she posts selfies and images of Leon and her raw vegan treats. Currently Sarma’s bio reads “Rikers alum” which is a nod to her time at Rikers Island correctional center.
Although she doesn’t have any plans to reopen Pure Food & Wine, a 2018 blog post by Sarma states “I want the self (and business) back that I had before”.
Where To Watch Bad Vegan In Australia?
Bad Vegan is currently available to stream on Netflix. If you want to read more about the modern-day scammers who conned New York, check out our profile on Anna Delvey here.
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