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Anthony Strangis became widely known through his highly publicized manipulation of Sarma Melngailis, the founder of Pure Food and Wine. This was revealed by multiple sources, including Vanity Fair reports dated November 3, 2016, and April 14, 2022, as well as Tudum’s article on March 17, 2022.
Strangis employed coercive tactics like gaslighting, sleep deprivation, and s*xual humiliation, leading Melngailis to believe her dog would become immortal if she obeyed him, resulting in nearly $2 million siphoned from her restaurant to fund his gambling addiction.
Investigation Discovery explored these disturbing allegations further in Surviving Strangis, aired on Monday, June 9, at 10/9c on Toxic. Years after his crimes against Sarma Melngailis, Strangis reportedly continued manipulating more victims, including a Hollywood actor and even his own sister.
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Despite his past convictions and imprisonment, Anthony Strangis resurfaced with a new identity, highlighting a concerning persistence in his coercive behaviours. Sarma Melngailis remains a central figure in exposing these crimes.
5 key details about Anthony Strangis’ crimes explored
Anthony Strangis gained notoriety through his high-profile crimes involving his former wife, restaurateur Sarma Melngailis.
Investigation Discovery’s Toxic episode, Surviving Strangis, which premiered on Monday, June 9 at 10/9c, delved into his deceptive methods, which continue to affect victims.
1) Manipulation through promises of pmmortality
Anthony Strangis convinced Sarma Melngailis to funnel nearly $2 million from her successful vegan restaurant, Pure Food and Wine, by claiming he could make her dog immortal.
Melngailis genuinely believed this claim, leading her to commit grand larceny under Strangis' influence, as per Vanity Fair’s report dated November 3, 2016.
As cited in Vanity Fair's report dated November 3, 2016, a friend, novelist Porochista Khakpour, highlighted the depth of his psychological manipulation, remarking,
“Sarma lost her mind...She really believed that her dog would live forever.”
2) Use of cult-like techniques
Strangis employed extreme methods, including gaslighting, sleep deprivation, and s*xual humiliation, to control Sarma Melngailis.
He accessed her personal and financial accounts and coerced her into participating in bizarre rituals under the guise of cosmic tests.
Melngailis described her experience as akin to being brainwashed, believing compliance would lead to ultimate empowerment and protection, as outlined in Netflix Tudum’s report dated March 17, 2022.
3) Financial exploitation and gambling
From January 2014 to January 2015, Sarma Melngailis transferred approximately $1.6 million to her personal accounts, with Strangis gambling away nearly $1.2 million in Connecticut casinos.
This reckless spending caused severe financial distress, leading Pure Food and Wine to close, unpaid employees to walk out, and investors to seek legal action.
4) Reinvention and continued deception
Despite serving a one-year jail sentence, Strangis re-emerged under a new identity, reportedly targeting new victims, including his sister and a Hollywood actor.
Vanity Fair’s report dated April 14, 2022, revealed he later married conservative journalist Jennifer Van Laar in Las Vegas, further reinventing himself within different social and political circles.
Van Laar stated they married "on a lark," although she filed for divorce shortly after.
5) Alleged political operative claims
After his release, Strangis reportedly hinted at involvement in political intrigues, claiming insider knowledge about sensitive political events, such as the release of private photographs of Congresswoman Katie Hill.
He suggested he knew of these images before their public disclosure, leveraging this claim to portray himself as connected and influential, as stated in Vanity Fair’s April 14, 2022, report.
Sarma Melngailis challenged these claims, dismissing them as "bullshit" and "delusional," underscoring his continued attempts at manipulation.
Surviving Strangis on Toxic thoroughly investigates these alarming patterns of deception, manipulation, and criminal behavior, emphasising the continuing threat Anthony Strangis poses.
Stay tuned for more updates.
