Attempted murder of Olga Tsvyk

Olga Tsvyk was 35 and living in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Queens, New York, when Viktoria Nasyrova visited her home on August 28, 2016. Nasyrova brought cheesecake, and Tsvyk became ill and lost consciousness after eating it. The next day, a friend found Tsvyk unconscious in bed, with pills scattered around her in a scene prosecutors said had been arranged to resemble a suicide attempt. Tsvyk was taken to a hospital and survived.

After returning home, Tsvyk discovered that her passport, employment authorization card, a gold ring, and other property were missing. Federal law-enforcement testing identified phenazepam, a potent sedative, in residue on the cheesecake container. The Drug Enforcement Administration found the same substance in the pills placed near Tsvyk. The Queens District Attorney said the women had similar complexions and dark hair and were both Russian speakers; prosecutors argued that Nasyrova intended to kill Tsvyk and assume her identity.

A Queens jury considered the evidence and found Nasyrova guilty in February 2023. The convictions included second-degree attempted murder, first-degree attempted assault, second-degree assault, first-degree unlawful imprisonment, and petit larceny. The Associated Press reported that defense counsel expressed disappointment with the verdict and said the defense was considering its options. The conviction establishes criminal responsibility for the attack while preserving the distinction that Tsvyk survived.

On April 19, 2023, Queens Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Holder sentenced Nasyrova to 21 years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision. The Appellate Division, Second Department, affirmed the judgment on September 11, 2024, rejecting her evidentiary, summation, and excessive-sentence arguments. The New York Court of Appeals denied leave to appeal on October 29, 2024. The conviction and sentence therefore remain in force.