A Russian woman has been sentenced to a long prison term in the United States for attempting to poison a woman who looked very similar to her with cheesecake and rob her of her identity. A court in New York on Wednesday handed Viktoria N. a 21-year sentence for attempted murder, followed by five years of post-release surveillance. The 47-year-old had already been found guilty by a jury in February.
“A ruthless and calculating con man is serving a lengthy prison sentence for attempting murder for personal gain and advantage,” said prosecutor Melinda Katz. “Fortunately, the victim survived the attempt on her life and we were able to help her do justice.”
According to the jury, Viktoria N. had visited her 35-year-old double Olga S. in August 2016 and brought a cheesecake with her. The victim ate some of it, felt unwell, lay down and passed out. According to her own statements, her last memory was of seeing N. walking around her room. A friend discovered the US citizen unconscious in her bed a day later – drugs were scattered around her to fake suicide.
Olga S. survived the poison attack and discovered after her return from the hospital that her passport and her social security card, which is important for proof of identity in the USA, were missing, along with the equivalent of around 3600 euros in cash, a gold ring and other valuables. She alerted the police, who analyzed the remains of the cheesecake and discovered phenazepam, a highly potent narcotic, inside. The US Drug Enforcement also tested the pills that had been lying on the floor near the victim and found the same drug.
Not only did Viktoria N. and her victim look extraordinarily similar at the time of the crime, the women also both speak Russian. The public prosecutor argued that N. poisoned her doppelganger in order to pretend to be Olga S. in the future. N. therefore did not want to be forced to return to Russia, where she is wanted in a 2014 murder case. The 47-year-old denied this in an interview with the US broadcaster CBS News.
N.’s defense attorney, Jose Nieves, announced that they will appeal both the conviction and the verdict. He considers the punishment excessive and the evidence insufficient. “Had the jury been allowed to see or hear certain evidence, the verdict might have been different,” Nieves said. Viktoria N. was threatened with up to 25 years in prison.
Nieves also stated that his client is a Russian citizen and will most likely be deported to her home country after detention.
Sources: Queens County Attorney’s Office, NBC News, CBS News
