(NEW YORK) — On a late summer day in 2016, Viktoria Nasyrova traveled from Brooklyn to Queens so she could visit the Forest Hills home of Olga Tsvyk. She brought a special dessert with her.
The two women had a lot in common. They were both Russian speakers, both had dark hair, similar complexions and shared other physical traits.
The two women sat down to eat the cheesecake Nasyrova had brought and, soon after, Tsvyk felt sick and passed out. Her last memory was of seeing Nasyrova walking around her room, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.
The following day, Tsvyk was discovered unconscious in her bed with pills scattered around her body as if she had attempted to kill herself, according to Katz. She was taken to a hospital for treatment.
When Tsvyk returned home, she realized that her passport and employment authorization card were missing, along with a gold ring and other valuables.
Prosecutors said Nasyrova poisoned Tsvyk with phenazepam, a highly potent sedative, concealed in the cheesecake. The residue was found on the dessert container.
The Drug Enforcement Administration tested the pills found on the floor near the victim and identified the same drug.
Nasyrova, 47, of Sheepshead Bay, was convicted in February of attempted murder in the second degree, attempted assault in the first degree, assault in the second degree, unlawful imprisonment in the first degree and petit larceny.
On Wednesday, she was sentenced to 21 years in prison.
“A ruthless and calculating con artist is going to prison for a long time for trying to murder her way to personal profit and gain. Thankfully, the victim survived the attack on her life and we were able to deliver justice to her,” Katz said in a statement.
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