Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Tom Davidson

Russian woman jailed for 21 years for bizarre identity theft cheesecake murder plot

A Russian-born woman has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for trying to kill her American lookalike with poisoned cheesecake and then stealing her identity.

Viktoria Nasyrova was found guilty of attempted murder by a jury in New York in February.

The 47-year-old was described as a “ruthless and calculating con artist” who was “trying to murder her way to personal profit and gain”, by Queens district attorney, Melinda Katz.

Nasyrova visited the home of her then 35-year-old Olga Tsvyk in August 2016 bearing the gift of a cheesecake.

The pair had a resemblance at the time - both Russian speakers with dark hair and other physical traits.

The women shared a slice each before Ms Tsvyk had a second and began to feel sick before passing out.

The next day, a friend discovered the victim unconscious. Pills were scattered around her to make it look like she had tried to kill herself, prosecutors said.

When the victim returned home after treatment in hospital, she discovered her passport and employment authorization card were missing, along with jewelry and other valuables.

Law enforcement agents tested the cheesecake and found that it was laced with phenazepam, a highly potent sedative, according to the DA’s office.

Nasyrova, who lives in Brooklyn, was also convicted of assault, unlawful imprisonment and theft.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.