Rise and Fall of Shane Fox: Netflix’s ‘Bad Vegan’ Conman
This article traces the journey of Anthony Strangis—better known as Shane Fox—from his troubled childhood through his dramatic romance with vegan restaurateur Sarma Melngailis, to his headline-grabbing arrest and quiet life today.
You’ll learn how a young man shaped by fear and gambling found a way to reinvent himself, built a high-stakes fraud scheme worth over $1.6 million, and tested the limits of trust.
His tale matters because it illustrates how quick fixes can lead to profound harm, how manipulation can hide in plain sight, and why understanding these stories helps us guard against deception.
Childhood Lessons: Risk, Control, and Deceit
Anthony Strangis was born in the early 1980s in Michigan to Patricia and a police officer from Brockton, Massachusetts. His father battled a gambling habit and even once threatened Patricia with a gun when she tried to leave. Young Anthony learned that money could mean control and security.
He moved often, and he lived with a mix of hope and fear at home. He skipped college courses and chased betting wins instead of steady work. Those early lessons shaped his view that bold claims could open doors that honest effort could not.
Reinvention: Becoming ‘Shane Fox’
In his mid-20s, Anthony adopted the name Shane Fox. He told people he was a former Navy SEAL and heir to a vast fortune. His first wife, Stacy, believed his stories until their divorce revealed gaps and unpaid bills.
With his old name tarnished by small-time crimes in Florida, he vanished and resurfaced online as a mysterious black-ops hero. He perfected a calm voice, a confident smile, and tales of secret missions. Those reinventions gave him entry into circles that would never have welcomed the real Anthony Strangis.
Meeting Sarma: Love and Control
In 2011, “Shane Fox” met New York chef Sarma Melngailis through social media. He showered her with gentle messages and vivid stories of covert government work. “He said he’d protect me,” Sarma later recalled, “and I believed him.”
They talked for months, then he started visiting her acclaimed restaurant, Pure Food and Wine. Their romance moved fast and intensely. He stroked her arm and spoke of adventure. She fell in love despite red flags. Their December 2012 wedding sealed a bond that blended genuine affection with growing financial control.
The $1.6 Million Scam
Between 2012 and 2014, Sarma transferred over $1.6 million from her restaurant and investors into accounts controlled by “Shane. He claimed the money paid for security against unnamed threats and fueled his secret missions.
Instead, he spent nearly $1 million at casinos in Connecticut, splurged on luxury watches, and blew tens of thousands more on international hotels and glamorous dinners.
He even used the alias Will Richards to access her records. As payroll went unpaid, staff walked out. Investors complained. Behind the scenes, a sophisticated fraud merged love, trust, and deceit.
Flight and the Pizza Arrest
In early 2015, prosecutors charged the couple with grand larceny, scheme to defraud, and labor-law violations. Facing up to 15 years in prison, they fled New York in October. They moved from state to state, renting hotel rooms and covering tracks.
Their luck ran out on May 12, 2016, when “Shane” ordered a Domino’s pizza at a motel in Sevierville, Tennessee. The delivery driver gave the authorities his name. Police burst in to find the couple in separate rooms. In a flash, the glamorous fugitive life collapsed over a chicken-wing order.
View this post on Instagram
Prison and Legal Aftermath
Anthony pleaded guilty in 2017 to four counts of grand larceny. He spent one year at Rikers Island, then served five years of probation, and was ordered to pay $840,000 in restitution. Sarma also took a plea deal, serving four months in prison and five months of probation.
In May 2018, they divorced. Both emerged with warnings that any misstep could bring years in prison. Anthony quietly completed probation. He avoided conditions like mental health counseling. He left prison having served the time as both sentence and lesson.
Media Spotlight: From True Crime to Netflix
In March 2022, Netflix released Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. The series blended filmmaker interviews, reenactments, and archived footage to unpack Sarma’s rise and Anthony’s schemes.
Journalist Allen Salkin set the tone: “This is a story about what is real,” he says, “and what happens when someone replaces your truth with theirs.” Anthony declined to appear on camera, but his voice surfaces in a 2019 phone call with Sarma: “I miss you,” he whispers. The show reignited public interest, sparking debates on coercion, cult tactics, and the line between love and fraud.
Life Lessons and New Beginnings
Today, Anthony Strangis keeps a low profile in Massachusetts. His lawyer reports he holds steady work and stays out of the spotlight. In 2021, he quietly remarried and avoided public life. His story offers clear warnings: charm can mask danger, and money can corrupt even the fondest trust.
Yet it also shows the power of second chances. By confronting his past, he navigates a world that once seemed only full of quick wins. His journey reminds us that rebuilding takes honesty, time, and steadfast commitment to change.
Final Words
Anthony Strangis’s saga underlines human vulnerability and the seductive pull of easy answers. From a childhood of fear to a life of grand scams, he tested love and law alike. His tale teaches us that real strength lies in truth, not tall tales.
It urges us to listen carefully, question boldly, and safeguard our most profound connections from false promises. In the end, his fall—and quiet rebirth—whisper a timeless lesson: integrity outlasts any con.
Table of Contents