Locked In with Ian Bick25 Aug 2025

Bad Vegan: Sarma Melngailis Breaks Silence on Fraud, Prison & Netflix Scandal

Sarma Melngailis seemed destined for success. A brilliant student who started her career in finance, she later pursued her passion for food and co-founded Pure Food and Wine, one of New York City's hottest vegan restaurants that attracted stars like Alec Baldwin. But Sarma's life took a shocking turn when she fell under the influence of a controlling con man who manipulated her into a web of lies, fraud, and destruction. Once the celebrated "vegan queen" of NYC, she became a fugitive, was arrested for fraud, and ended up behind bars at Rikers Island. Sarma's story of love, betrayal, and downfall captivated the world and was chronicled in Netflix's hit documentary Bad Vegan. In this episode, she opens up about her childhood, career, and what really happened behind the scenes of one of the most infamous scandals in the restaurant world. #BadVegan #SarmaMelngailis #TrueCrime #PrisonStories #NetflixDocumentary #RestaurantScandal #LockedInPodcast #Fraud Connect with Sarma Melngailis: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarmamelngailis Buy her book: https://amzn.to/45x4Awo Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ Presented by Tyson 2.0 & Wooooo Energy: https://tyson20.com/ https://woooooenergy.com/ Use code LOCKEDIN for 20% OFF Wooooo Energy Buy Merch: http://www.ianbick.com/shop Timestamps:

00:00 Arrest and Introduction

01:56 Sarma's Background & Pure Food and Wine

10:08 Growing Up, Independence, and Early Influences

20:28 Career in Finance and Transition to Culinary

29:19 Opening Pure Food and Wine

36:46 The Rise of Pure Food and Wine & One Lucky Duck

42:00 Business Philosophy and Brand Growth

48:46 Personal Relationships & Vulnerability

54:46 First Encounters With the Conman

01:01:01 How the Manipulation Began

01:07:07 Financial Spiral and Isolation

01:16:16 Collapse and Confusion

01:25:01 The Arrest, Jail, and Coming to Terms

01:39:00 Prosecution, Sentencing, and Restitution

01:58:02 Reflection and the Future

02:00:33 Lessons Learned & Moving Forward

02:12:23 Ending and Book Discussion Powered by: Just Media House : https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Creative direction, design, assets, support by FWRD: https://www.fwrd.co

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(694)

I Was a Navy SEAL - Then I Survived 30+ Years In Prison | Dusty Turner

Dusty Turner was granted parole in January 2026 after spending more than 30 years behind bars for a murder he has always maintained he did not commit. Growing up in a military family, Dusty achieved h...

10 Sep 2h 31min

I Was a New Jersey Correctional Officer — Here's Why I Walked Away After 3 Years | Laquan Rouse

Laquan Rouse grew up in New Jersey associating with gang members without ever joining, was a star athlete who had every reason to believe sports would define his future — until he got shot three times...

9 Sep 1h 48min

I Went Into Prison at 23 — Then Spent 17 Years in North Carolina State Prison | Michael L. Burge

Michael L. Burge grew up in North Carolina and Virginia, watched his parents split, was a good kid overall — skipped college, started working, got caught up with the wrong crowd, started robbing house...

8 Sep 1h 54min

I Was A Lawyer For The Mexican Mafia — Then Got 6 Years in Arizona Prison | Jason Keller

Jason Keller became a criminal defense attorney in Arizona, developed addictions to drugs and alcohol that compromised every professional boundary available, took on clients who were members of the Ne...

7 Sep 2h 39min

I Worked Inside Nassau County Jail — Here's What Really Goes On Behind Those Walls | Officer Wayne James

Officer Wayne James studied criminal justice and psychology in college, always knew he wanted to work in law enforcement, and has spent four years as a correction officer at Nassau County Correctional...

6 Sep 1h 28min

Glen "Big Baby" Davis: How I Survived Federal Prison

Glen "Big Baby" Davis grew up with a love for theater, got drafted to the NBA, won a championship with the Boston Celtics, had his career ended by injury, navigated the struggles of life after the lea...

3 Sep 1h 50min

I Was a Georgia Prosecutor for 7 Years — Then Switched Sides To Become A Criminal Defense Attorney | Noah Pines

Noah Pines spent seven years as a prosecutor in Georgia — weighing sentences, navigating cases, trying to be a fair voice inside a system that does not always reward fairness — before leaving to becom...

2 Sep 1h 57min

I Was a College Student — Then I Got Sent To Rikers & New York Prison | Khallid Barber

Khallid Barber grew up in New York with a good family and a solid upbringing, went off to college, came home for break, got around the wrong crowd, and got involved in a club shooting he thought he go...

1 Sep 1h 10min