Olga Tsvyk, a Ukrainian beautician living in Queens, New York, found herself in a nightmare situation when she agreed to help her client, Viktoria Nasyrova, with a beauty emergency on her day off.
Little did she know that this decision would lead to an attempted murder and identity theft that would change her life forever.
The shocking story of Tsvyk’s harrowing ordeal is set to be explored on a special episode of 48 Hours, titled The Case of the Poison Cheesecake, airing exclusively on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ on Saturday, April 27, 2024, at 9 pm ET. Tsvyk will share the details of how she was poisoned, robbed, and almost murdered by a former friend and client, Viktoria Nasyrova.
It all started when Nasyrova, stressed about an upcoming trip to Mexico, reached out to Tsvyk for an “emergency” eyelash repair service. Despite it being her day off, Tsvyk agreed to help and asked Nasyrova to come to her home in Queens for the appointment.
Upon Nasyrova’s arrival, she insisted that Tsvyk try some cheesecake she had brought along. Shortly after consuming the dessert, Tsvyk began feeling dizzy and nauseous, eventually losing consciousness. She woke up in the New York Presbyterian Hospital in Queens, where she received intensive care for three days.
Returning home, Tsvyk discovered that some of her personal items, including handbags and jewelry, were missing. What’s more, her passport, employment authorization card, and other identification were gone. It was later revealed that Nasyrova had drugged Tsvyk, robbed her, and left her for dead, attempting to stage the scene as a suicide attempt.
Despite Nasyrova’s attempts to cover her tracks, investigators were able to uncover the truth behind the crime. They found Nasyrova in Brooklyn and discovered that the cheesecake she had given Tsvyk was laced with a potent sedative. Nasyrova was arrested on March 20, 2017, and further investigations revealed stolen items, including Tsvyk’s identification, in her possession.
Nasyrova was charged with attempted murder and other offenses, leading to a trial that concluded in February 2023. She was convicted and sentenced to 21 years in prison, with a possibility of deportation to Russia after her release. Despite maintaining her innocence, Nasyrova is currently serving her sentence at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility.
