The only woman charged in the sprawling New York City mafia and NBA-linked poker scam spent years cavorting with celebrities and musicians before her stunning arrest, high-flying photos from her Instagram show.

Sophia Wei — a 40-year-old known as “Pookie” — painted portraits for celebrities like comedian Kevin Hart, and enjoyed hanging out with hip hop stars and athletes, according to her social media posts.

She notably painted Hart a massive portrait of his late mother around 2020, writing on Instagram how it was her first commission after she picked up the brush during the pandemic lockdowns. 7

“Here it all started, prior to this piece, I was painting as a hobby, to pass time during quarantine!! My very first commission!!” she wrote on her now-private Instagram, alongside a pho

See Full Page