Will Anna Sorokin be deported? 'Fake heiress' in ICE custody after prison release for overstaying visa
Anna Sorokin, the fake heiress-turned-convicted fraudster, is reportedly in federal custody and will mostly be deported by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency for overstaying her visa. The German national, who was famously dubbed as the "Soho grifter" after it emerged she was pretending to be wealthy while conning New York elites, turned herself in to ICE authorities on March 25.
The convicted felon, who faked being a German heiress with a net worth of 60 million euros, is being held at the Bergen County Jail in New Jersey, the New York Post reported.
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Sorokin, who had assumed the alias of Anna Delvey, reportedly defrauded over $200,000 from banks, businesses, and even friends while pretending to be a rich socialite. The alleged con-artist reportedly received a $22 million loan to allegedly open a nightclub by presenting forged documents to banks. Furthermore, she ripped off over $35,000 from Uber's helicopter service Blade, per the report.
According to the New York Post, the 30-year-old was released from prison in February after serving just over two years in prison, but has had an immigration detainer for overstaying her visa and was therefore ordered to check in with the authorities. Sorokin was slated to be deported back to Germany on March 26, but is now in ICE custody. That said, it's unclear whether Sorokin had challenged the deportation order.
"She overstayed her visa and has a conviction on top of it," immigration lawyer Steven Pugliese told the New York Post. "She’s immediately removable unless she filed some application for relief. If there’s an application pending she would most likely remain in custody until it’s adjudicated."
In 2019, Sorokin received four to 12 years in jail for grand larceny and theft of services. She secured an early release for good behavior but seemed to return to her luxurious lifestyle shortly after, staying at the five-star NoMad hotel while documenting her life after prison on social media.
Sorokin sold her life story rights to a producer Shonda Rhimes for a new Netflix show, bagging about $320,000 from the deal. While she was ordered to pay restitution of $198,000, she still had enough to continue living lavishly for a while. Upon her release, Sorokin also gave a number of controversial interviews, including one where she said crime paid "in a way" and called her time in prison "therapeutic."
Sorokin, who was born in Russia, also started posting on her social media accounts to let people know she was still out there. Her first Instagram post showed her wearing sunglasses in bed, which she captioned: “Prison is exhausting, you wouldn't know."
According to The Post, Sorokin was released from jail after she reportedly apologized at a parole hearing seven months ago. “I just want to say that I'm really ashamed and I'm really sorry for what I did. I completely understand that a lot of people suffered when I thought I was not doing anything wrong,” she reportedly said at the hearing.