A Brooklyn woman accused in a string of dine-and-dash incidents across high-end restaurants was ordered held on bail over the weekend, marking the first time she has remained in custody after multiple arrests in recent weeks.
Prosecutors said 34-year-old Pei Chung repeatedly obtained meals by posing as a social-media influencer. She would then refuse to pay, the New York Post reported.
Chung was arraigned Saturday on a theft-of-services charge following her latest arrest, which stemmed from allegations that she consumed $149 worth of food at Mole Mexican Bar and Grill in Williamsburg on Friday afternoon and declined to settle the bill.
Police said the incident triggered at least her eighth arrest connected to similar complaints since late October.
A judge set cash bail at $1,500 in the Mole case and added $3,000 in bail across two earlier matters in which bench warrants had been issued after Chung failed to appear for supervised-release intake.
Court records indicated Monday that she had not posted the total $4,500 and had been transferred to Rikers Island.
Restaurant owners who filed complaints said the bail decision offered some relief.
"I'm glad that justice is being served," said John Winterman, owner of the Michelin-starred Francie in Williamsburg, where Chung is accused of dining and leaving without paying on multiple occasions.
He added that the restaurant blocked a recent attempt by Chung to return again.
A manager at Peter Luger Steak House, which also reported an incident involving the defendant, said, "I'm glad there's some sort of recognition being brought to the matter.
"She was getting away with it. Way too often. And it's just not right.''
A staff member at the restaurant recently told NBC News 4 that Chung stayed for hours and then said she could not pay when presented with the check, later attempting to barter items from her bags, including kitchen shears.
Chung, whose social-media accounts display designer clothing and photos of expensive meals, is accused by several establishments of arriving with cameras and lighting equipment while portraying herself as a content creator.
Police and restaurant owners said the complaints began in late October and included filings from Francie, Lavender Lake, Motorino, Peter Luger, Misi, and Sea Thai.
Winterman said her repeated visits showed how persistent the problem had become.
"I don't think 'entitlement' is a strong enough word," he said. "The clear proof of this was she kept going back to the same restaurants over and over.
"She already dined and dashed and refused to pay — she came back a third time, and I had to call the police."
Motorino owner Mathieu Palombino said Chung stayed four hours at his restaurant on Nov. 11, ordered multiple dishes, and then presented a declined American Express card before offering promotional consideration instead of payment.
According to Palombino, she told an employee, "I'll make a nice post for you if you give me the meal for free."
He added, "My guy called me, I said, 'No way!'"
Palombino said he does not intend to allow her back.
"No, that's just bulls**t," he said. "This whole thing by her is completely staged.
"It's one thing to need food if you are poor, but she ran this elaborate scam for what? No, we don't need her business."
Chung is scheduled to return to court Wednesday.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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