Anthony Strangis, also known as Shane Fox, is a convicted criminal, gambler, and con artist. He is the ex-husband of Sarma Melngailis, who owned a once high-end restaurant- Pure Food and Wine, before he defrauded her millions. He came to fame after the release of the documentary Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives, which was released on March 16, 2022.
The Netflix documentary Bad Vegan trailer starts with a recorded phone call between Sarma Melngailis and Anthony Strangis. It goes on to show how a once successful raw vegan restaurant closed its business as a result of fraud. Read along to see how he was able to con Sarma and what he is doing now.
Who Is Anthony Strangis?
Anthony Strangis was born on September 1o, 1972, and is a native of Massachusetts. His father was a Brockton, Massachusetts policeman. His mother’s name is Patricia though not much is known about her career.
Anthony Strangis has a half-sister McKaila Coulter, and they lived with their mother after their father left. Anthony went to live with his father when he was in his 20s, and that is when he met Stacy Avery. Anthony Strangis married Stacy Avery (Stacy Strangis), and the two have a son together.
Anthony Strangis, also known as Shane Fox, met Sarma Melngailis on Twitter, and the two started dating. Sarma was a successful restaurateur who specialized in raw vegan diets. Her restaurant, Pure Food, and Wine was a high-end restaurant that served celebrities like Rooney Mara, Anne Hathway, Alec Baldwin, Chelsea Clinton, and many other celebrities.
Anthony Strangis Relationship with Sarma Melngailis
Sarma Melngailis met Anthony Strangis on Twitter, and the two started dating. Strangis had a gambling addiction, and he was controlling. He used coercive control to take out approximately $2 million used to run the restaurant and pay employees.
The four-part Netflix series shows how he had brainwashed Sarma into believing that he would make her and her pit bull Leone immortal if she followed everything he said.
Strangis claimed that his skin and body were a meat suit, something that is hard to believe, but Sarma did, and according to Vanity Fair, she blames it on a spell he cast on her.
Who is Sarma Melngailis?
Sarma grew up in Newton, MA, studied Economics at the University of Pennsylvania, and graduated in 1994. She then worked in investment banking at Bear Stearns and later at private equity and a high-yield investment fund. She was not much inclined in the world of finance, so she went to study at the French Culinary Institute, which she felt was her passion.
She started raw vegan diets where she could focus on providing nutritious and tasty foods for her customers. This was a success, and she later bought the restaurant to have sole ownership.
Anthony Strangis had a Criminal Past Before Meeting Sarma
According to People, Anthony has been on the wrong side of the law and had been involved in grand theft and was also accused of impersonating a police officer.
Anthony was the driving force behind the scam that took place by manipulating Sarma into marrying him. He made him believe that he would be the one to fulfill her every dream and build her food empire.
He also convinced Melngailis that he had mystical forces, and all she had to do was to follow his every command. Unfortunately, this meant coaxing investors to pour money into her food business and to keep wiring him money.
As she kept draining her business account, the business could no longer stand; her employees staged a protest demanding their salaries, and later the once famous vegan restaurant collapsed in 2015.
Strangis’s mother claimed that this behavior may have resulted from a bad childhood upbringing due to his father’s violent temper. However, Strangis’s lawyer denies this claim.
Vegan Fugitive
Anthony Strangis and Sarma Melngailis went on a run for a year before authorities caught them. Although they had managed to cover their tracks for a year, Anthony ordered a non-vegan pizza and used his real name. Thanks to that credit card that was used to order a Domino’s Pizza, the authorities were able to use that information to track them, and they caught the two in a Tennessee hotel.
Anthony Strangis and Sarma Melngailis Court Case
After the two were caught, they were transferred to New York for their trials. Anthony pleaded guilty to charges of criminal tax fraud, four charges of grand larceny, and a scheme to defraud. He was sentenced to one year in prison and five years probation as well as having to pay $840,000 in restitution to investors. Anthony Strangis served one year of imprisonment on Ricker’s Island. His probation ended in May 2022.
Sarma Melngailis served four months in jail after she took a plea deal. Melngaili’s family posted her $300,000 bond enabled her to fight her case outside of jail.
Where is Anthony Strangis Now?
After serving his sentence, many are curious to know where Mr. Strangis is now. Sam Karliner who is Strangis’s lawyer, told E! News that Mr. Strangis has turned on a new life and is remorseful for the people who lost money, and takes full responsibility for his actions. Melngailis filed for divorce after she was released from prison.
Surprisingly, there were a “throuple” photos that started circulating online that included him and a California congresswoman named Katie Hill. The scandal forced Katie Hill to step out of the office, and when asked about it, he said he knew about the photos but was working as a republican political operative.
Strangis texted Melngais following the Katie Hill saga, trying to explain to her why she resigned. Strangis texted Sarma, claiming that Katie was a corrupt mess. Melngailis seemed fed up with his explanation and texted him asking him to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he knew what was happening. However, in this instance, Strangis knew about the pictures before they were released because he had been involved with the congresswoman.
According to Vanity Fair, Anthony Strangis also married Jennifer Van Laar, an investigative journalist, in August 2021 in Las Vegas. According to the interview, Van Laar knew about Anthony’s criminal conviction but still decided to get married. However, they later felt they are better off as friends than as husband and wife. The two live in separate homes in California.
Jennifer Van Lar had hired Mr. Strangis as his bodyguard. He performed bodyguard services to protect her against death threats she had received as an investigative journalist. The contract she offered Strangis to be her bodyguard facilitated his early release from probation.
According to McKaila, Anthony Strangis, trying to live a private life, now goes with a different name and has a driver’s license that bears a new last name. But since old habits die hard, his step-sister claims that Anthony borrowed some money from her, and she has been trying to collect from him in vain.
Strangis also told his sister that he had landed a job with the republican party and had insider knowledge. Whether it’s true or not, we are yet to find out.
Where is Sarma Melngailis now?
Sarma now lives in Harlem with her rescue dog, Leone. She is mostly active on her Instagram account, where she posts vegan foods for her fans. She also posts lots of pictures with her rescue dog Leon.
After Sarma’s restaurant business collapsed, the official website for Pure Food and Wine also was taken down. However, according to her Website, Sarma managed to get some of her blogs from the original website and uploaded them to her website.
Concerning the Documentary, she claims that the information provided in the series is not entirely accurate. She wrote that what was written in the press was mostly inaccurate and did not tell the whole story. Sarma also mentioned that she was no longer in contact with Strangis.
What is Anthony Strangis's Net worth?
Anthony did not participate or give any comments on the bad vegan saga for the docu-series, and since his imprisonment and release, not much is known. At the moment, it is not clear how much he is worth.
Frequently Asked Questions about Anthony Strangis
How old is Anthony Strangis?
Anthony Strangis was born on September 10, 1972. This makes Strangis 40 years old as of 2022.
Which last name is Anthony Strangis using?
Anthony or anyone close to him has not shared the new name he is currently using. This could be because he is trying to turn a new leaf without being defined by his past.
How many children does Anthony Strangis have?
Anthony Strangis has one child from his first marriage with Stacy Strangis (Stacy Avery).
Is bad vegan operating now?
No. After Strangis defrauded the restaurant of its millions, the restaurant closed and has not opened since. However, Sarma has not mentioned whether she was trying to open another restaurant.
Does Anthony Strangis have social media accounts?
Anthony Strangis has no known social media account. He, however, had a Twitter account that he used to communicate with Sarma. He had several Twitter accounts under pseudonyms, making it hard to ascertain his true or active account. As of now, he doesn’t have any other social media account.
