Convicted "fake heiress" Anna Sorokin released from immigration custody as she fights deportation
Anna Sorokin, whose exploits posing as a German heiress to scam individuals and financial institutions out of hundreds of thousands of dollars inspired a Netflix series, has been released from immigration custody.
Pictures in the New York Post Friday showed Sorokin in an apartment building in Manhattan. She told the publication she was "just happy to be back" in New York City.
The 31-year-old had been held by immigration authorities since March 2021, after she served three years in prison for larceny and theft. Immigration authorities claim she has overstayed her visa and must be returned to Germany.
This week, a judge had cleared the way for Sorokin to be released to home confinement while she fights deportation. Under conditions imposed by Manhattan Immigration Judge Charles Conroy, she had to post a $10,000 bond, provide a residential address where she'll stay for the duration of her immigration case and refrain from social media posting.
Posing as Anna Delvey, Sorokin managed to ingratiate herself with New York's movers and shakers, claiming she had a $67 million fortune overseas, according to prosecutors. She falsely claimed to be the daughter of a diplomat or an oil baron.
Prosecutors alleged Sorokin falsified records and lied to banks, luxury hotels and upper crust Manhattanites, and stole a total of $275,000. Her exploits inspired the Netflix series "Inventing Anna."
After Conroy issued his order, Sorokin's attorney, Duncan Levin, said in a statement that Sorokin "is thrilled to be getting out so she can focus on appealing her wrongful conviction."