‘Bad Vegan’ True Story: Where Are Sarma Melngailis, Anthony Strangis aka Shane Fox and More Now? (2024)

She was called the “vegan Bernie Madoff”, and her story is now on Netflix. This week marks the premiere of Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives., the latest true crime docuseries from Chris Smith. Before Bad Vegan, Smith directed FYRE and was a producer of Tiger King. Even with those credentials, this one may be his craziest case to date.

But before we get into immortal dogs and paper trails of pizza, it’s worth taking a step back. If you know nothing about Sarma Melngailis or Pure Food and Wine, this guide is for you.

Who Is Sarma Melngailis?

Take a deep breath. Do you feel centered? Good. You’re going to need it because this is a wild one.

In 2004, Sarma Melngailis was one of the names to know when it came to the New York upscale dining scene. Together with her former boyfriend and chef Matthew Kenney and restauranteur Jeffrey Chodorow, Melngailis opened Pure Food and Wine, New York’s first upscale raw vegan restaurant. It quickly took off. It was praised in several publications, including Forbes’ 2008 list of “All Star New York Eateries.” “Star” is an apt descriptor for the restaurant because major celebrities like Owen Wilson and Alec Baldwin were known to frequent the place. The restaurant became so successful that it launched its own connected store, One Lucky Duck Juice and Takeaway. One Lucky Duck even expanded to San Antonio.

But in 2014, Melngailis disappeared and everything changed. In July of 2014, the staff of Pure Food and Wine and One Lucky Duck walked out, citing Melngailis’ failure to pay them a month of wages. A second walkout happened in January of 2015. These walkouts only happened during two of the five times this owner was unable to pay her staff.

The most important thing to know about Pure Food and Wine and One Lucky Duck is that they were almost always successful. So what happened? How did this profitable and acclaimed restaurant and grocery store fall so quickly? That’s what this docuseries explores.

According to Melngailis, most of the fall can be traced back to her relationship with and eventual marriage to Anthony Strangis. The two came to know each other through Twitter and Words with Friends. Strangis said that he was wealthy and could help her business, a claim that seemed possibly valid due to his Twitter friendship with Alec Baldwin. But their relationship was about more than money. According to Vanity Fair, Strangis was abusive and would put Melngailis through “cosmic endurance tests.” If she followed him and did what he said, Strangis promised her fame, fortune, and even immortality for Melngailis and her beloved dog. The two eventually got married, allegedly so that Strangis could transfer Melngailis funds more easily.

That’s not what actually happened. Instead, Melngailis embezzled a reported $2 million from her own restaurants and workers. This happened while she still owed $1 million to investors, by the way. Most of that money went to fueling Strangis’ gambling addiction. She and Strangis then spent 40 days on the run as they dodged unpaid wage lawsuits.

Who Is Anthony Strangis, AKA Shane Fox?

The way Melngailis tells it, the crimes she committed all hinge on Anthony Strangis. The two first met on Twitter but didn’t meet in person until 2011. A year later they got married. According to Melngailis, Strangis told her that their marriage would make it easier for him to transfer her money.

Shortly after they got together, things got weird between the two. Strangis would often administer “tests” for Melngailis, claiming that if she completed them, he could grant her wonderful things like making her dog Leon immortal. Yes, really. Many of those tests had to do with money. At their worst, Melngailis transferred $1.6 million from her business to her personal account and gave that as a loan to Strangis. A reported $1.2 million of that money went to the Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos.

What Crimes Did Melngailis and Strangis Commit?

The big headline of this criminal story has to do with junk food. It was an order for a Dominos pizza and wings that led authorities to Melngailis and Strangis, though Melngailis claimed she spent most of their 40 days on the run living off of Chipotle’s vegan bowls. At the time, they were wanted for fraud and a violation of labor laws.

The two were charged with a 24-count inditement that included second-degree grand larceny, second-degree criminal tax fraud, first-degree scheme to defraud, and violation of labor. Melngailis took a plea deal, avoiding her potential three-year prison sentence. She received a split six-month sentence that required her to serve four months and serve five years of probation. She was found guilty of grand larceny, criminal tax fraud, and a scheme to defraud

Strangis, however, didn’t get off as easily. He pleaded guilty to four counts of grand larceny in the fourth degree and was sentenced to a year in jail as well as five years of probation. Strangis also had to pay $840,000 in restitution to the investors.

Where Is Sarma Melngailis Now?

After she was released from jail, Melngailis filed for divorce from Strangis. In 2019 she told the New York Post that she plans on one day leaving New York with her dog Leon to work on a memoir. But she still has dreams to reopen her restaurant.

“If there was some magical opportunity to open the same restaurant in the same place, I would do it in a heartbeat,” Melngailis said. “I think New York would take me back.”

Where Is Anthony Strangis Now?

Less is known about Strangis. He finished serving his prison time in 2017, and his five-year probations is supposed to end soon. In May of this year, Strangis will be allowed to leave his home state of Massachusetts. HIs whereabouts are currently unknown, but Melngailis has maintained some sort of contact with him.

Are Pure Food and Wine and One Lucky Duck Still Open?

Both the restaurant and the grocery store have closed. There have been no official plans to reopen either. Considering the mountain of criminal activity and legal headaches associated with them, it seems unlikely that either will reopen.

Watch Bad Vegan on Netflix