Russian woman guilty of cheesecake-poisoning of US lookalike

A RUSSIAN-BORN woman was convicted by a US court on Thursday of trying to kill her American lookalike with poisoned cheesecake and then stealing her identity.

Viktoria Nasyrova, 47, was found guilty of attempted murder by a jury in New York, the district attorney for the city’s borough of Queens said in a statement.

Nasyrova visited the home of her then 35-year-old victim in August 2016 bearing the gift of a cheesecake.

At the time, the pair resembled one another – both spoke Russian, had dark hair, the same skin complexion and shared other physical traits – the trial heard.

The woman ate the dessert and began to feel sick before passing out.

The next day, a friend discovered the victim unconscious. Pills were scattered around her to make it look like she had tried to kill herself, prosecutors said.

When the victim returned home after treatment in hospital, she discovered her passport and employment authorisation card were missing, along with jewellery and other valuables.

Law enforcement agents tested the cheesecake and found that it was laced with Phenazepam, a highly potent sedative, according to the DA’s office.

Nasyrova, who lives in Brooklyn, was also convicted of assault, unlawful imprisonment and theft.

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She is due to be sentenced on March 21 and faces up to 25 years in prison. AFP