Sarma Melngailis is at the center of the fresh new Netflix offense documentary “Crappy Veggie: Fame. Ripoff. Fugitives.” Melngailis’s facts is certainly one filled up with twists and you may transforms and you may unbelievable states. She once was towards the top of new York food world, with celebrities like Alec Baldwin and you can Woody Harrelson just a few of this lady regular people. After not paying their group and you will elizabeth crashing down, just like the she fast turned into noted for their role inside the a fraudulent scandal you to shook Nyc and the vegan industry.

The former manager of brand new York’s important raw vegan eatery Natural Food and Drink is disgraced in 2015 following the closing away from their cafe and additional inside the 2016 when she is actually detained to the counts from 2nd-knowledge grand larceny, second-studies unlawful Rochester escort tax ripoff, first-degree program so you can defraud, solution of work rules, and you may related counts. From inside the 2017, Melngailis recognized a beneficial plea contract and you can try in the course of time sentenced so you’re able to four weeks into the prison and you will 5 years probation, Forbes reported. The fresh disgraced veggie restaurateur’s life features significantly altered as losses regarding the lady business and you may next stop, but in which try she now? Here’s what to learn about in which “Bad Vegetarian”is the reason Melngailis happens to be.

Who’s Sarma Melngailis?

Melngailis don’t get her begin in meals globe up until the girl late twenties. She originally had an eye having business (foreshadowing, far?) and you can graduated about University regarding Pennsylvania within the 1994 with a bachelor’s training into the economics. Following the her graduation, Melngailis proceeded to operate a number of operate one to built on company, along with financial support financial and you will capital money, centered on the girl site.

This lady demand for financing did not last, and you will she visited the brand new Cooking Institute regarding The usa, graduating for the 1999 that have hopes of cracking to the eating globe. In the 2004, she launched Pure food and Wine together with her following-date and you can cook, Matthew Kenney. For another e certainly one of Brand new York’s most popular eating, consistently applauded by important guides such as for example Ny Magazine and Forbes. By 2015, however, the fresh new tide got completely changed.

Just how Did Sarma Melngailis Get Trapped?

Last year, Melngailis met Anthony Strangis due to Facebook, and also the a few . Depending on the Ny Blog post, Melngailis leased Strangis since the an employer for the 2013, and that immediately changed that which you. A line plan working for Melngailis during the time listed, “[Melngailis] would continue a whole lot more trips. [She] without a doubt turned far more elusive, faster concerned about the newest well-becoming of providers.”

Their impractical romantic union and you will organization relationship puzzled relatives, nearest and dearest, and staff off Melngailis, but there can be a reason at the rear of it. Predicated on Vanity Reasonable, Strangis “is actually guaranteeing giving the woman enough money in order to become independent out of meddling traders, assist anyone she desired, and pay off the lady costs.” Strangis decrease using on their of numerous pledges, also you to the guy designed to create Melngailis’s pit bull terrier immortal. Rather, with her, they took $dos million on the eatery by the not paying gurus and you will lying to help you buyers. The fresh duo presumably used the cash on gambling establishment travel and you can expensive luxuries, such hotels and you can watches.

Once a workers’ struck from the Pure-food and you can Wine group within the 2015, their cash-to make plan come to crumble. With the tension of experiencing to blow one another teams and buyers, Melngailis and you may Strangis went on the fresh work on, attempting to avoid extradition for their criminal activities up until an effective Domino’s pizza purchase tipped from the police.

In which Is actually Sarma Melngailis Now?

Once serving five weeks in the The latest York’s well known Rikers Isle jail, she recorded having splitting up of Strangis in 2018. Based on their webpages, she already lives in Harlem together with her rescue dog, Leon. Melngailis plus appears to be concentrating on an effective podcast, for every single a summary of the girl Instagram web page, and certainly will can be found in “Crappy Veggie.” On to this new restaurant globe, she remains optimistic but practical, advising the York Blog post from inside the 2019, “If the there is certainly some phenomenal possibility to open a similar bistro in identical place, I might exercise inside a heart circulation. In my opinion New york would take me back.”