Netflix Documentary ‘Bad Vegan’ Chronicles Conman Gambling Illicit Funds at Casinos

Netflix has done it again, the streaming giant’s modish avowedly crime documentary “Bad Vegan” trending on societal media for presenting a most outrageous and seemingly unbelievable story. But this tale involving high-stakes gaming is based on truth.

“Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives” documents the boost and shine of vegan restauranter and celebrity chef Sarma Melngalis, who was topper known for beingness the proprietor of New House of York City’s Pure Food and Wine. The eatery, which was located nigh Federal Square at 54 Washington Irving Place, was a vegan and birthday suit foods construct that was a favourite among celebrities.

For those provision to vigil “Bad Vegas,” we intimate that you stop over reading now, as spoilers are contained below.

Melngalis’ demise began presently after the Latvia-born US citizen initiated a human relationship with ane of her most famous client’s Twitter followers. In 2011, she took a liking to a adult male posing on Twitter under the nominate Shane Fox.

Actor Alec James Arthur Baldwin repeatedly interacted with George Fox on the social media platform. Melngalis, a worshipper in occult powers and some sorting of higher calling for her life, believed she was destined to follow partnered with the mysterious Fox, who is later revealed to live a serial conman.

Over the next several years — Fox, who is eventually identified as Anthony Strangis — manages to drain Melngalis’ personal and business organization finances.

Theft Funded Gambling

The Netflix doc chronicles how Strangis — through and through dissembling and force — stole millions of dollars from Melngalis and investors behind the restaurant. Much of the money went towards funding Strangis’ overweening play habit.

Strangis gambled a substantive portion of the ill-gotten finances at Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun inwards Connecticut. The Netflix program reveals that Strangis missed at to the lowest degree $1 meg gambling at Foxwoods and another $200,000 at Mohegan Sun.

Authorities concluded that Strangis swindled as much as $2 billion from Melngalis and others. The two were eventually supercharged past the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office with various allegations including stiffing employees, duping investors, and going on the lam erst their strategy was uncovered.

Melngalis maintained that she was a victim end-to-end the case. But she eventually pleaded guilty in May of 2017 to stealing from investors and revenue enhancement fraud. She was sentenced to quadruplet months in prison house and quint years of probation.

Melngalis filed for split up from Strangis inwards May of 2018. For his role in the crime, Strangis was sentenced to ace year inward prison house and Little Phoebe years’ probation.

Casino Run

Melngalis mostly did what Strangis said, according to her answer for on “Bad Vegan.” And when Sturgis felt up his illicit confederacy was coming to an terminal and decided to tour on the pass with Sarma in tow, his provision typically included destinations with casinos.

If I of all time asked him where we were going, I would let some vague answer. Knowing what i cognize now, of course of action we were sledding from any station that had a gambling casino to another localize that had a casino,” Melngalis says inward the Netflix documentary.

Melngalis and Strangis eventually made their way to Las Vegas. They stayed on the Strip at Harrah’s for months before fleeing town for Volunteer State inward tardily 2015. The pair was eventually arrested inward Pigeon Forge, a popular mountain holiday town in the eastern component part of Tennessee.