Pei Chung’s Fake Foodie Dine-and-Dash
TAIWANESE THIEF LIVES IN BROOKLYN
By SyndicatedNews | SNN.BZ
Brooklyn “Dine-and-Dash Influencer” Arrested Five Times in One Month for Skipping Restaurant Tabs
A 34-year-old Williamsburg woman born in Taiwan continues to disgrace her own country. She lives at a luxury waterfront address and has a sizable Instagram following but she’s turned thievery into a bizarre repeat offense, landing her in handcuffs five times since late October 2025.
Pei Chung, a Taiwanese-born Brooklyn resident who boasts over 16,000 followers on Instagram under various food and lifestyle handles, allegedly walked out on bills at multiple New York City restaurants in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Police sources say the unpaid tabs range from a few hundred dollars to well over $1,000 at high-end establishments.
Chung resides in one of Williamsburg’s most expensive new developments, a glass-walled high-rise at 416 Kent Avenue on the East River, where one-bedroom rentals start above $5,000 a month and penthouse units trade for millions.
According to NYPD arrest records and restaurant complaints:
- Late October: Left a SoHo sushi restaurant with a $1,200 tab unpaid.
- Early November: Allegedly dined at a Meatpacking District steakhouse and vanished before the $900 check was settled.
- Mid-November: Two separate incidents in Williamsburg and the Lower East Side.
- November 22: Fifth arrest after attempting the same maneuver at a popular Brooklyn rooftop bar.
In each case, staff recognized her from prior incidents or from photos circulated among Manhattan and Brooklyn restaurant groups. Surveillance footage repeatedly shows her calmly gathering her designer bag and exiting without attempting to pay.
Despite the mounting charges — which now include five counts of theft of services — Chung has been released each time after arraignment, in part because the individual amounts fall below felony thresholds in several instances.
Restaurant owners and managers, many of whom operate on razor-thin margins, expressed outrage.
“She orders the most expensive items on the menu, takes photos for her Instagram stories, tags the restaurant, and then just disappears,” one Williamsburg venue owner told reporters off-camera. “It’s not just the money — it’s the brazenness.”
She is represented by a public defender and faces an eviction hearing on December 2, 2025, for owing nearly $40,000 in back rent at her $3,350/month studio in a luxury Williamsburg high-rise owned by former Gov. Eliot Spitzer.
Below is a chronological summary of her known arrests, compiled from NYPD reports cited in outlets like PIX11, the New York Post, NBC New York, and Daily Mail. Note that some sources report varying totals (e.g., 5–7 arrests by mid-November), but the most detailed timeline aligns with seven charged incidents by November 15, plus two more leading to her jailing.
| Date | Restaurant | Location | Alleged Bill Amount | Details | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 22, 2025 | Francie (Michelin-starred European brasserie) | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $188 | Ordered foie gras ($15), carpaccio ($32), lamb ($52), bucatini ($28), and hot-chocolate mousse; offered a “blog post” in lieu of payment. Returned multiple times. | Arrested; charged with theft of services; released on desk ticket. |
| October 27, 2025 | Peter Luger Steak House | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $146 (or $150) | Ordered steak, sides, and dessert; hid in the restroom for 45 minutes before attempting to leave; allegedly offered a manager a sexual favor instead of payment. Banned the next day upon return. | Arrested; charged with theft of services; released. |
| November 6, 2025 | Lavender Lake | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $97 | Cocktails ($16+) and full meal; slipped out without paying. | Fled initially; later arrested in connection; charged with theft of services; released. |
| November 7, 2025 | Francie | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $83.83 | Returned after prior ban; ordered food and refused payment; recognized by staff and police (who arrived with “We know her”). Arrested at the bar amid diners. | Arrested on-site; charged with theft of services; released after arraignment. |
| November 11, 2025 | Motorino Pizza | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $135 | Full pizza meal; refused to pay upon completion. | Arrested; charged with theft of services; released on supervised release. |
| November 14, 2025 | Misi (Michelin-star Italian) | Brooklyn | $100 | Pasta and wine; attempted payment with declined cards from Louis Vuitton bag. | Arrested; charged with theft of services; released on supervised release post-arraignment. |
| November 15, 2025 | Sea (Thai restaurant) | Brooklyn | $123 (or $100) | Multiple dishes; cards declined; handcuffed and escorted out. | Arrested (seventh time); charged with theft of services; released despite prosecutor’s request to detain. |
| November 18–19, 2025 (Weekend) | Unspecified (two incidents, including possible repeat) | Brooklyn | Undisclosed (est. $100+ each) | Post-arraignment sprees; one involved offering random bag items as payment. | Two additional arrests (eighth and ninth?); charged with theft of services; released on supervised release. |
| November 21, 2025 | 12 Chairs (Israeli restaurant) or Hole in the Wall (pasta spot) | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | Undisclosed (est. $100–150; mezze platter, lamb, pudding) | Posted photos on Instagram mid-incident; recognized and confronted; attempted to hide or flee. | Ninth arrest; charged with theft of services; bail set at $1,500 per case (total $4,500 cash for three warrants); detained at Rikers Island women’s facility as of November 24, 2025. First time held in custody. |
Key Patterns and Aftermath
- Total Incidents/Charges: At least 9 arrests, all for theft of services; prosecutors are consolidating for potential grand larceny (felony) if totals exceed $1,000.
- Modus Operandi: Chung arrives dressed in designer wear (Prada, Louis Vuitton, Hermès), sets up for photos/videos, tags the venue, then claims “forgot wallet” or offers social media promo. She’s been banned from 7+ spots, with staff sharing her photo via private groups.
- Social Media Fallout: Her feed remains active with unpaid meal pics (e.g., praising Peter Luger’s steak: “The fat melts like silk”), drawing mocking comments like “Dine and dashing multiple spots and getting arrested over a meal. How low do you have to be?”
- Personal Fallout: Eviction proceedings began in 2023 for non-payment; neighbors report frequent police visits. No prior criminal history mentioned.
- Court Next Steps: Arraignment on consolidated charges expected in December 2025; bail remains $4,500 total. Restaurants report losses in the thousands, calling it “brazen” amid thin margins.
Pei Chung, the 34-year-old Brooklyn woman accused in a series of dine-and-dash incidents at upscale NYC restaurants, is currently detained at Rikers Island correctional facility following her ninth arrest on November 21, 2025. This marks the first time she has been held in custody, after being released on supervised release or desk-appearance tickets in all prior arrests.
Key Details on Her Detention:
- Arrest Circumstances: On November 21, Chung was apprehended at a Williamsburg restaurant (reports vary between 12 Chairs Israeli eatery and Hole in the Wall pasta spot) after allegedly ordering a meal worth around $100–$150, photographing it for Instagram, and refusing payment. Her credit cards were declined, and she attempted to flee or barter, leading to police intervention.
- Bail and Charges: Prosecutors requested detention due to her pattern of recidivism. A judge set bail at $1,500 per case, totaling $4,500 in cash bail for three outstanding warrants related to theft of services. Unable or unwilling to post it, she was remanded to Rikers’ Rose M. Singer Center (women’s facility).
- Next Court Date: She is scheduled for arraignment on consolidated charges in early December 2025, where prosecutors aim to elevate the cases to felony grand larceny by combining unpaid tabs exceeding $1,000 total.
- Additional Context: Chung faces a separate eviction hearing on December 2, 2025, for owing nearly $40,000 in back rent at her luxury studio apartment in the North 7th Street building owned by former Gov. Eliot Spitzer. Neighbors and building staff have reported ongoing disturbances, including frequent police visits.
This information is based on the latest reports from November 24, 2025; her status could change with court proceedings or bail posting. For real-time verification, check Brooklyn Criminal Court records or NYPD updates.
This record is based on public NYPD disclosures and media investigations as of November 2025. The Taiwanese thief now has her own cell at Riker’s Island.
