Netflix..Bad Vegan.

I watched an interesting documentary just out on Netflix last night titled 'Bad Vegan'.

A little misleading as the vegan in question was good but it was when someone she met took over her life; that was the bad vegan part.

A successful, attractive, restaurateur in Manhattan, New York, Sarma Melngailis  owned a busy restaurant named Pure Food and Wine and was also an author of two successful books.  It was at the start of the raw food movement and was frequented by high profile business people, movie stars and fashion icons. Everything was good with future plans to expand; there was already another shop selling natural food and drinks called The Lucky Duck.

It was when she met a mysterious man in 2011 that seemed to cast a spell over her and he manipulated her into giving him money and that eventually led to stealing money from investors and employees.

He said he had a secret life and that he was involved with "black ops" and was constantly travelling.  Sarma was never sure where he was and if what he was saying was the truth. But despite this she fell under his spell and when he asked for money she gave it to him.

A total of around two million dollars was taken from the restaurant forcing it's ultimate closure.

It's a long and involved storyline but it just goes to show how someone can be fooled/taken over by a con man...as that is what he was. A gambler and a con man.

He ended up taking over her e-mail account, her bank account; her life! Frightening  how someone could do this but he did and successfully. 

They both went on the run as debts mounted. She wanted to leave him but was under his control. They travelled extensively around the U.S. finally to be caught in a Tennessee motel.

Total debts now totaled around  $6 million including. $400 thousand taken from her mother by the man.. Anthony Strangis.

They were arrested with Sarma serving a total of four months in prison and her husband...yes she married him as bizarrely as it sounds..one year.

It's all very strange and so involved I found it fascinating how some ones life, anyone's life, can be manipulated like that.

The four part series I watched in one sitting.

It could be a warning to many. Worth seeing. I admit difficult to believe someone so successful could be taken in like that but it happens...frequently it seems!

The gossip magazines somewhat cruelly referred to Sarma Melngailis as "the vegan Bernie Madoff". She still hopes to pay off debts somehow and money from this Netflix show went to pay staff of the restaurant some of the money they were owed. Also she would love, one day if possible, to open another restaurant.

A lesson to us all. Don't always take people on face value. The may be telling fibs...