Fake NYC Food Influencer Finally Imprisoned After Ninth Arrest for Dining in Luxury Restaurants Without Settling Bills

Pei Chung, a 34-year-old woman accused of serial non-payment at New York City restaurants, has been detained at the Rikers Island correctional facility following her arrest on Friday. The self-styled food blogger faces multiple charges of theft of services after allegedly refusing to pay for meals at high-end New York establishments.

Pei Chung Is Finally in Jail After Scamming NYC Restaurants

Chung, 34, has made headlines in recent weeks for dining at high-end restaurants in the Big Apple without paying her bill. She would arrive all dressed in high fashion, wearing Prada, Hermes, or Louis Vuitton. Instead of paying, she would offer a deal—she would take photos of her meal and post them on her blogs. Unfortunately for her, this doesn't work in luxury eateries.

On Friday, 21 November, Chung was arrested for the ninth time due to her scheme. This time, however, she ended up locked in jail after getting away with her ploy multiple times, the New York Post reported.

She is reportedly detained in the women's quarters on Rikers Island.

The judge has set Chung's bail at $1,500 (£1,190) for the dine-and-dash incident on Friday. The judge also set bail at $1,500 for two other cases in which she was issued bench warrants after failing to appear in court. She has to pay $4,500 (£3,570) cash to be released.

Latest Dine-and-Dash Incident

Pei Chung seemed unbothered, even though her ploy to deceive high-end restaurants had already been reported.

On Friday, Chung dined at Mole Mexican Bar and Grill, where she ordered a $149 (£113) meal. She arrived at the eatery around 3 p.m. and once again used her dishonest method by refusing to pay her check, according to the authorities.

On 15 November, she targeted Misi, a popular Italian restaurant, and Sea Thai. Despite being arrested twice on that single day, she was granted supervised release, allowing the pattern to continue.

Next, on 17 November, she dined at 12 Chairs Cafe, which serves Middle Eastern dishes. She pulled off her familiar tactic by stepping out without paying her bill.

'She left and didn't pay,' a source close to the eatery said. However, 12 Chairs reportedly chose not to call the police, per The Post. Before the incident, she had been arrested seven times since late October.

She did the same to Francie and Peter Luger. When she dined at the latter, she went missing for 45 minutes and hid in the comfort room. Chung also allegedly offered the manager sexual favours for her meal.

Pei Chung Also Faces Potential Eviction From Williamsburg Apartment

Aside from her troubles with numerous restaurants in NYC, Pei Chung could be evicted from her apartment. She's reportedly behind in rent for several months already, and her neighbours have tons of complaints against her.

One claimed she left her trash in the hallway; others said she played her music too loudly, disturbing other tenants. According to another neighbour, police officers frequently visited her unit because of her unstable behaviour.

Chung Not Just Fake But Gold Digger Too, Netizens Claim

One man who claimed to have matched with Pei Chung on a dating site wasn't surprised when he read about her scamming high-end restaurants. According to him, she promised to take him to such places if he would share his knowledge of high-frequency trading with her.

He didn't feel the connection because, for him, she viewed relationships in 'a transactional way.' He shared some of their exchange, and at one point, she advised him to, 'Always be on top and exploit others.' The statement prompted netizens to call the fake food influencer a 'gold digger.'

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