Russian woman attempted to kill doppelganger friend by poisoning a CHEESECAKE in identify theft plot

A Russian-born former dominatrix accused of trying to kill her doppelganger with a cheesecake laced with poison as part of an identity theft plot appears to have shrugged off the accusations with a smile in court.

Viktoria Nasyrova, 45, appeared at the Queen’s Supreme Court on Monday for opening statements in which it’s been alleged that she left a trail of DNA evidence and spoke of the accusations in several jailhouse interviews.

Prosecutors said these media interviews, which took place in the wake of her arrest, are likely to be a focus in the trial, and if convicted of her crimes, could see Nasyrova face up to 25 years in prison.

The 45-year-old’s twisted past has become media fodder as stories of running from the law after the murder of a woman in Russia in 2014 emerged among accusations of targeting men on dating websites, drugging and robbing them.

The Russian fugitive, once lived a glamorous lifestyle, and was known for having a taste for the finer things in life including diamonds and furs.

Nasyrova was arrested in May of 2016 for stealing two furs worth $532 from a Century 21, but wasn’t flagged as an international fugitive at the time. 

A gruesome murder charge hung over the 45-year-old who is said to have fled to New York following the brutal slaying of her neighbor in 2014, Alla Alekseenko, 54.

Assistant District Attorney Konstantinos Litourgis painted a picture to jurors on Monday of what they could expect to learn throughout the trial, although her sordid past crimes in Russia did not appear to make the cut, according to Fox News.

‘The DNA that was on that container belongs to Viktoria Nasyrova,’ Litourgis said in his opening statements.

‘So, on top of everything you’re going to hear from civilian witnesses, you’re going to learn that there’s a cheesecake container that had [tranquilizer] Phenazepam in it and also had the defendant’s DNA on it.’

Litourgis continued, referring to the alleged victim Olga Tsvyk, that Nasyrova has been specifically asked about the crimes, and appeared to show no remorse.

‘She was asked this specific question: ‘There is a woman named Olga who looks a lot like you who said that you poisoned her with a piece of cheesecake in order to steal her identity,”Litourgis said.

‘You know what this defendant did when she was asked that question? She smiled. And you know what her answer was? ‘I can tell you I know this person. I know who you mean. I did not force her to eat the cheesecake.’

‘This is not a joke. It’s not just a story. It’s not an accident and it’s not a mistake. This defendant intended to kill this woman and steal her identity.’

Nasyrova appeared in a black turtleneck top, glasses with her hair pulled back into a ponytail during the court appearance

For the most part, the 45-year-old kept a fairly neutral disposition, but appears to be smiling and speaking to someone behind her in photos that were taken on the day

Nasyrova appeared in a black turtleneck top, glasses with her hair pulled back into a ponytail during the court appearance. 

For the most part, the 45-year-old kept a fairly neutral disposition, but appears to be smiling and speaking to someone behind her in photos that were taken on the day.

Tsvyk, an eyelash stylist, also testified on Monday telling the court that Nasyrova had arrived at her home in Forest Hills, Queens, August 2016 in desperate need of her services.

Nasyrova had been a client for six months before the attack, and bizarrely trekked to the Queens salon despite living in Brooklyn.

‘She told me, ‘I’m right now in Brooklyn. I want to bring you some famous cheesecake from a famous bakery.’ I told her, Viktoria, that’s not needed, just come over,’ Tsvyk said.

After arriving at her home, Nasyrova ate two slices of cheesecake offering a third slice, that prosecutors say had been laced with Russian tranquilizer Phenazepan, to Tsvyk.

Tsvyk told the court that she started to feel sick about 20 minutes after eating the cake.

‘I started to look to lie down on the bed,’ Tsvyk told the jury.

Assistant District Attorney Konstantinos Litourgis painted a picture to jurors on Monday of what they could expect to learn throughout the trial saying the 45-year-old left a mess of DNA evidence behind

 Prosecutors claimed that Nasyrova then stole Tsvyk’s passport, cash and other belongings and tried to make the incident appear to look like a suicide

‘I started to look for a pillow. I was realizing that I was losing consciousness and I said to her, ‘Vika, I’m feeling really bad.’ I started feeling very nauseous. I wanted to vomit. I started to vomit right by my bed onto the floor.

Prosecutors claimed that Nasyrova then stole Tsvyk’s passport, cash and other belongings and tried to make the incident appear to look like a suicide by scattering pills around the victim’s body.

‘Everything was done in this case very carefully and very methodically by this defendant not only did she poison Olga in order to impersonate her she also staged her bedroom to make it look like suicide,’ Litourgis said.

Tsvyk similarly wore a black turtle neck, her hair out, and appeared relieved to be leaving the courtroom as she briskly walked to the elevators among a throng of reporters. 

When asked how she had been feeling following her statements, she replied softly, ‘not good.’

A mess of DNA evidence appeared to have been left on the cheesecake box according to Litourgis who added that this and additional evidence proves that she tried to kill Tsvyk.

The prosecution said they plan to call another witness during the trial, who claims that Nasyrova had drugged him after they met on a Russian dating site in 2016.

Litourgis said that the man ate fish and vegetables cooked by the 45-year-old and woke up in hospital three days later.

Tsvyk similarly wore a black turtle neck, her hair out, and appeared relieved to be leaving the courtroom as she briskly walked to the elevators among a throng of reporters

When asked how she had been feeling following her statements, she replied softly, ‘not good’

‘His symptoms almost mirrored that of Olga’s,’ Litourgis said, noting that the man’s watch and cash had been stolen.

Nasyrova’s attorney, Christopher Hoyt, told jurors that the current case wasn’t as ‘open and shut’ as prosecutors have claimed. 

In 2019, Nasyrova pleaded guilty in a separate case in which she had been charged with attempted larceny in Brooklyn Supreme Court, following other allegations that she had drugged and robbed men that she met on dating apps.

But the most notorious of her alleged crimes took place before she reached the United States.

Alekseenko remains were found burned and buried two miles from her home in Krasnodar, in southern Russia.

DailyMail.com exclusively revealed images of the victim’s body in the front seat of Nasyrova’s car by traffic cameras in 2017, investigators at the time saying, money was the motive for the heartless homicide.

Nasyrova fled to America and began a new life as masseuse with ‘experience in upscale spas and beauty salons,’ according to an ad for ‘quality massage at home’ she posted shortly after arriving in the Big Apple.

It’s been reported she was allegedly able to escape Russia by having sex with a local police officer. Interpol then issued a red notice for her arrest for murder. 

Police said Nasyrova enjoyed a lavish lifestyle of diamonds and furs, paid for by the men she lured into her life. A dark picture of her past has been painted since her arrest

Stories of running from the law after the murder of a woman in Russia in 2014 among accusations of targeting men on dating websites, drugging and robbing them, also emerged about Nasyrova

But, her sordid past was to follow her, when Alekseenko’s horrified daughter learned that the wanted Russian beauty was now living just miles away from her in Brooklyn.

The victim’s daughter, Nadezda Ford, said she got a text message from her missing mother shortly her disappearance, saying ‘Sweetie, don’t worry about me, I’ll notify you about where I am soon enough.’

Herman Weisberg, a retired NYPD detective, had been approached by Alekseenko’s daughter, after the horrified woman learned that her mother’s suspected killer was living near her

The message came after traffic camera footage appeared to show her mother’s lifeless body in passenger’s seat of Nasyrova’s car on the day that she disappeared, October 5, 2014.

Alekseenko’s body was found months later, badly burned and reduced to a skull and a few bones identifiable only through dental records.

Investigators found $17,000 in cash and jewelry missing from the her home.

By November of 2014, Nasyrova had slipped out of Russia, despite a warrant out for her arrest on Interpol. 

A private detective in New York played a key role in bringing Nasyrova to justice.

Herman Weisberg, a retired NYPD detective, had been approached by Ford after the horrified woman learned that her mother’s suspected killer was living near her.

 A gruesome murder charge hung over the 45-year-old who is said to have fled to New York following the brutal slaying of her neighbor in 2014, Alla Alekseenko, 54

 Alekseenko’s body was found months later, badly burned and reduced to a skull and a few bones identifiable only through dental records

‘A Good Samaritan who knew the daughter of the murdered Russian woman got in touch with me and told me the story,’ Weisberg told DailyMail.com at the time.

‘She offered to pay whatever cost for me to track her down and bring her to justice.’

Ford ‘was living in fear of this woman,’ and had already moved once and was heartbroken over the loss of her mother,’ said Weisberg. 

The intrepid detective discovered that Nasyrova was still regularly using Facebook under a different name, and found her secret profile. 

‘After poring over pictures I realized the stitching on the leather car seat in one of her selfies was unique to a high-end Chrysler. I then had my surveillance team scour Sheepshead Bay until we found the vehicle,’ he said. 

The team found the vehicle, a Chrysler 300, and began a stakeout. Weisberg’s discovery paid off – they’d located the mysterious fugitive. 

On top of the Russia murder, Nasyrova was also wanted by NYPD on suspicion of drugging and robbing at least three men she met via a New York dating website.

The Russian fugitive, once lived a glamorous lifestyle, and was known for having a taste for the finer things in life including diamonds and furs. Nasyrova was arrested in May of 2016 for stealing two furs worth $532 from a Century 21

Nasyrova fled to America and began a new life. It’s been reported she was allegedly able to escape Russia by having sex with a local police officer. Interpol then issued a red notice for her arrest for murder

NYPD Chief of Detectives Bob Boyce said: ‘She’s a con artist who meets people online through a dating site and then drugs them at some point, and takes their property from them and flees’.

She was arrested by the NYPD Warrant Squad on an open warrant for the alleged seduction robberies after Weisberg alerted investigators to her location, since Russia doesn’t have an extradition treaty with the U.S. 

‘She embarked on a life of crime here, and we don’t have the whole story yet. We only have bits and pieces’, Boyce added.

‘What’s incredible is that Nasyrova wasn’t living like she was on the lam – we pictured her out shopping for a 50-inch widescreen TV,’ said Weisberg. 

‘We think she was empowered by her previous arrest for shoplifting, which didn’t pick up the fact she wanted by Interpol for this murder.’

‘It would have made her feel like she had slipped the net,’ said Weisberg. ‘Not now.’

A trial into the fresh crime allegations continues.