‘Fake heiress’ Anna Sorokin, under house arrest, speaks about deportation fight
- Anna Sorokin was released on Saturday from US immigration custody to house arrest
- She scammed more than a quarter of a million dollars from hotels, banks and friends
Convicted swindler Anna Sorokin spoke to The New York Times about how important it is to her to remain in New York despite risks of deportation.
Sorokin, 31, was released on Saturday from US immigration custody to house arrest. She told the Times she would feel like she was “running from something” if she were to let herself be deported to Germany.
“Letting them deport me would have been like a sign of capitulation – confirmation of this perception of me as this shallow person who only cares about obscene wealth, and that’s just not the reality.” Sorokin told the Times.
Last week, an immigration judge cleared the way for Sorokin to be released to home confinement while the deportation fight plays out. Now, she is wearing an ankle monitor after posting a US$10,000 bond.
Sorokin for years used the name Anna Delvey to pass herself off as the wealthy daughter of a German diplomat, and lied about having a US$67 million bankroll overseas to create the impression that she could cover her debts, prosecutors said.
Her case became the basis for the Netflix series Inventing Anna, released in February.
Fake heiress Anna Sorokin released to house arrest, fights deportation
After serving three years in prison for conning US$275,000 from banks, hotels and rich New Yorkers to finance her luxurious lifestyle, Sorokin was detained by immigration authorities last year who argued she had overstayed her visa and must return to Germany, where she is a citizen.
When asked about what she plans to do now, Sorokin told the Times she is working on her own podcast, which has not come to fruition yet, and that she wants to work on criminal justice reform to highlight the struggles of other girls.
Sorokin also spoke about how much she has learned while being in jail, and how it is impossible “to have been through what I’ve been through without changing.”
