Pei Chung Faces Bail on Theft-of-Services Charges After Repeated Dine-And-Dash Allegations

A Brooklyn woman accused of repeatedly dining and dashing at 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 say 34-year-old Pei Chung has repeatedly obtained meals by posing as a social-media influencer and then refusing to pay, according to court records. 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 Riker Island.

Restaurant owners who filed complaints said the bail decision offered some relief. A restaurant owner said “I’m glad that justice is being served,” adding that the establishment blocked a recent attempt by Chung to return again. “It’s only in New York City where someone like this becomes a folk hero.” Another manager at a steakhouse 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. A restaurant owner 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.”

Another restaurant owner said Chung stayed four hours at his place on Nov. 11, ordered multiple dishes, and then presented a declined American Express card before offering promotional consideration instead of payment. According to the owner, 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!'” The owner said he does not intend to allow her back. “No, that’s just bullst,” 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.