Woman Guilty of Poisoning Look-Alike With Cheesecake

Viktoria Nasyrova planned to kill victim, steal identity, prosecutors said
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Feb 28, 2018 7:25 PM CST
Updated Feb 10, 2023 4:41 AM CST
Woman Accused of Poisoning Look-Alike With Cheesecake
Stock image   (Getty Images/Magone)
UPDATE Feb 10, 2023 4:41 AM CST

A New York City woman accused of feeding poisoned cheesecake to her lookalike in a bid to steal the other woman's identity has been convicted of attempted murder. Viktoria Nasyrova, 47, was found guilty by a jury on Wednesday of trying to kill 35-year-old Olga Tsvyk with cheesecake laced with a powerful sedative and then stealing her passport and other valuables in August 2016, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said Thursday. The two women resemble each other, with dark hair and similar skin tones, and Nasyrova hoped to impersonate Tsvyk after killing her, the district attorney said. Nasyrova was convicted of charges including attempted murder, assault, and unlawful imprisonment, the AP reports. She faces up to 25 years in prison when she is sentenced March 21.

Feb 28, 2018 7:25 PM CST

A Russian native was charged with poisoning a look-alike with a tranquilizer-laced cheesecake and then stealing her passport, cash, and other property after trying to make it look like a suicide attempt, authorities said Wednesday. "This is a bizarre and twisted crime that could have resulted in the death of a Queens woman, whose only fault was that she shared similar features with the defendant," said Queens DA Richard Brown. The suspect, Viktoria Nasyrova, 42, was arraigned Tuesday on attempted murder, burglary, assault, and other charges after being arrested in March 2017, the AP reports. In an earlier interview with CBS, Nasyrova denied forcing the woman to eat the cheesecake. Nasyrova also is accused of drugging and killing a woman in her native country. She denied those charges in the CBS interview.

In August 2016, Nasyrova visited the home of the 35-year-old victim bearing a gift of a cheesecake, said Brown. He added that both women have dark hair, the same skin complexion, and speak Russian. "The woman ate the cheesecake, fell ill and laid down," Brown said. "Before passing out, the woman's last memory is of seeing the defendant sitting beside her inside her home." The following day, a friend found the victim unconscious in her bed, "dressed in lingerie with pills scattered around her body as if the woman had attempted to kill herself," Brown said. The woman was treated at a hospital and when she returned home she realized that her passport and employment authorization card were missing, along with a gold ring and cash. Law enforcement agents tested the cheesecake and confirmed it was laced with the Russian tranquilizer Phenazepan.

(More attempted murder stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X