Financial Services, Latvia, Legislation, Markets and Companies, USA

Melngailis of Latvian origin and her husband Anthony Strangis had swiped around USD 2 million (EUR 1.76 million) from the company to splurge on Rolex watches, lavish European vacations and trips to casinos

The daily pointed at the ironic fact that the avowed vegan was caught after she had ordered a cheesy Dominos pizza while on the run in a hotel in Tennessee with her husband.

Melngailis and Strangis are awaiting extradition to New York, where they are charged with everything from grand larceny, tax fraud and scheming to defraud for not paying ex-employees, authorities said. Her ex-employees claim she owes them up to USD 3,500 (EUR 3,073) each in wages.

The indictment against Melngailis and husband Anthony Strangis claims she transferred nearly USD 1.6 million (EUR 1.4 million) from the businesses to her personal bank account, of the majority of which her husband blew at a casino. Strangis dropped another USD 80,000 (EUR 70,243) on a Rolex watch and other pricey watches and used more than USD 70,000 (EUR 61,462) on trips across Europe, the indictment says.

Melngailis disappeared last summer. This was the third time when the restaurant popular among celebrities closed down. Melngailis first went missing last January, but then reappeared, blaming her poor communication skills. The restaurant was opened in April and again closed in June. After it was reopened in July, Melngailis disappeared again.