Russian gets 21 years for cheesecake-poisoning of US doppelganger

A Russian-born woman has was sentenced to 21 years in a US prison for trying to kill her American lookalike with poisoned cheesecake and then stealing her identity.

Viktoria Nasyrova, 47, was found guilty of attempted murder by a New York jury in February.

Nasyrova visited the home of her then 35-year-old victim in August 2016 bearing the gift of a cheesecake.

The woman ate the dessert and began to feel sick before passing out.

The next day, a friend discovered the victim unconscious. Pills were scattered around her to make it look like she had tried to kill herself, prosecutors said.

When the victim returned home after treatment in hospital, she discovered her passport and employment authorization card were missing, along with jewelry and other valuables.

Nasyrova, who lives in Brooklyn, was also convicted of assault, unlawful imprisonment and theft.