Viktoria Nasyrove poisoned her eyelash tech Olga Tsvyk with ‘killer cheesecake’ to steal her identity

When Olga Tsvyk accepted a slice of cheesecake from an acquaintance in August 2016, she had no idea she was about to become the victim of one of New York City’s most twisted murder plots. The seemingly innocent dessert would leave her fighting for her life—and expose a criminal scheme so outlandish it could have been ripped from a thriller novel.

A Deadly Gift

In August 2016, Nasyrova visited the Queens home of Olga Tsvyk, a 35-year-old eyelash technician who bore a striking resemblance to her. Nasyrova brought what seemed like a friendly gift—a slice of cheesecake from a local bakery. But the dessert was laced with phenazepam, a powerful Russian sedative.

Stolen Identity

With Tsvyk unconscious on the floor, Nasyrova set the second phase of her plan in motion. She rifled through the apartment, taking cash, jewelry including a gold ring, and most tellingly, Tsvyk’s passport. Then came the truly sinister touch: Nasyrova scattered pills around her victim’s limp body, staging the scene to look like a suicide attempt. If everything went according to plan, Tsvyk would die, and Nasyrova would assume her identity using the stolen documents.

A Narrow Escape

Tsvyk’s friend discovered her unconscious the next day and rushed her to the hospital, where she spent days in a coma. Doctors determined she had been poisoned. Had she not been found in time, prosecutors said, she would have died.

Investigators soon focused on Nasyrova, who had fled to her native Russia after the attack. She was eventually arrested upon returning to the United States in 2017.

A Pattern of Deception

The cheesecake poisoning wasn’t Nasyrova’s only alleged crime. Authorities in Russia wanted her in connection with the 2014 murder of a woman in her home country, where she allegedly used a similar poisoning method. She was also accused of drugging and robbing other victims in New York.

The Verdict

After a trial that captivated the public with its stranger-than-fiction details, Nasyrova was convicted of attempted murder, assault, and unlawful imprisonment. She was sentenced to 21 years in prison.

The case serves as a haunting reminder that truth can indeed be stranger than fiction—and that sometimes danger comes disguised as dessert.

In 2023, Viktoria told The New York Post she was having trouble finding her intellectual equals to talk to in prison. “I don’t want to sound like I’m better than others, although in some ways I am,” Victoria said. “But to find a person on your intellectual level … It’s hard to find people here that I can really communicate with. I want to talk about art, culture, travel, books.”

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