A judge dismissed all cases against a woman accused of skipping out on the bill at multiple Williamsburg restaurants.
News 12 first reported that “[t]he cases against Pei Chung were dismissed after a psychiatric evaluation conducted in February found that she was not fit to proceed in court.”
Her lawyer, Henry Philip Dechalus, told the outlet that Chung has resisted cooperating in the case.
“Chung was brought to the courthouse Thursday but refused to appear before the judge. Court officers said they cannot force her into the courtroom, so the hearing proceeded without her,” said News 12.
Chung will remain in custody, due to her immigration status and mental health. She will be transferred from a psychiatric facility at Rikers Island, where she has been held since November, to a hospital in a different state.
The NYPD arrested Chung last fall, after a spree of stiffing multiple restaurants under the guise of being a food influencer. It was not Chung’s first arrest, but it was the first that stuck; she had already been busted at places such the Michelin-starred Francie, Lavender Lake, Hole in the Wall, Motorino Pizza, and Peter Luger.
Police finally apprehended her at Molé Mexican Bar and Grill.
Dechalus told the New York Post that Chung’s frequent use of AI exacerbated her mental health issues, as she believed that she was helping to promote these restaurants in exchange for free food.