Sarma Melngailis is at the center of brand new Netflix crime documentary “Crappy Veggie: Fame. Con. Fugitives.” Melngailis’s story is but one filled with twists and turns and you will amazing claims. She once was near the top of the latest York dining world, that have stars particularly Alec Baldwin and you will Woody Harrelson just some of the girl frequent customers. Once failing to pay the woman team and you will age crashing down, while the she fast became recognized for this lady role within the a deceptive scandal that shook New york therefore the vegan globe.
The former proprietor of new York’s esteemed raw veggie eatery Sheer Food and Drink was disgraced when you look at the 2015 after the closing off the girl eatery and further in the 2016 when she was detained to your counts regarding second-training grand larceny, second-training unlawful income tax swindle, first-knowledge program to help you defraud, ticket off labor rules, and associated matters. From inside the 2017, Melngailis accepted an excellent plea price and you will is actually at some point sentenced so you’re able to five days in jail and you will 5 years probation, Forbes claimed. The new disgraced veggie restaurateur’s life has rather altered given that losings out of the girl organization and you will after that stop, however, where is she today? Here is what to learn about where “Bad Vegan”is why Melngailis happens to be.
Who’s Sarma Melngailis?
Melngailis didn’t score her start in your food globe until the lady later 20s. She originally got an eye for company (foreshadowing, much?) and you will graduated on the College regarding Pennsylvania within the 1994 which have good bachelor’s knowledge in business economics. Adopting the the lady graduation, Melngailis went on to the office loads of work that established towards organization, and additionally investment banking and you may resource fund, considering this lady web site.
The woman interest in funds failed to last, and you may she decided to go to brand new Cooking Institute out of America, graduating for the 1999 having hopes of breaking toward restaurants community. Within the 2004, she opened Pure-food and you will Wines along with her following-sweetheart and you can cook, Matthew Kenney. For another e http://datingmentor.org/russian-chat-rooms/ certainly The York’s hottest restaurants, consistently applauded by the esteemed courses eg Ny Magazine and you can Forbes. Because of the 2015, however, the wave got entirely altered.
Exactly how Performed Sarma Melngailis Score Trapped?
Last year, Melngailis fulfilled Anthony Strangis through Facebook, and a couple . According to the Nyc Article, Melngailis leased Strangis since the an employer into the 2013, hence immediately altered everything you. A column plan doing work for Melngailis at that time detailed, “[Melngailis] perform carry on significantly more travel. [She] obviously became alot more evasive, smaller concerned about this new well-being of your own company.”
The unlikely personal connection and team partnership mislead family unit members, family members, and you can personnel away from Melngailis, however, you will find a description about it. According to Vanity Fair, Strangis “is actually promising to offer the woman enough currency being independent away from meddling people, assist individuals she need, and you may pay back the girl bills.” Strangis dropped courtesy with the their of numerous promises, in addition to one he designed to build Melngailis’s pit bull immortal. Rather, together, they took $dos billion about restaurant by failing to pay pros and you can sleeping to traders. The latest duo presumably made use of the money on local casino vacation and expensive luxuries, like lodging and you can observe.
After an effective workers’ strike by Pure-food and you can Wines professionals into the 2015, their money-and work out scheme arrive at crumble. On the tension of having to invest one another employees and you can dealers, Melngailis and Strangis proceeded brand new run, wanting to avoid extradition due to their crimes up to a great Domino’s pizza pie buy tipped off the cops.
In which Is Sarma Melngailis Today?
Once providing four months within The latest York’s well known Rikers Isle jail, she submitted having breakup from Strangis in the 2018. Considering the lady webpages, she already stays in Harlem along with her save your self puppy, Leon. Melngailis along with is apparently taking care of an excellent podcast, each a summary of the girl Instagram web page, and will come in “Bad Veggie.” Towards the back to the fresh new eatery world, she stays hopeful however, practical, informing the new York Post inside the 2019, “If the there is certainly specific magical opportunity to unlock an identical bistro in identical put, I might do it inside a pulse. In my opinion New york would bring me personally right back.”