Anna Sorokin, who was convicted on fraud charges for posing as heiress Anna Delvey, was released from prison in February 2021 but taken into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody on a detainer in March 2021. Sorokin is now 30.
Sorokin was born in Russia but lived in Germany before moving to the United States in 2013, according to ABC News. Prosecutors said at her trial that she used her fake identity “to swindle Manhattan’s elite, gaining access to exclusive parties, nightclubs and hotels,” ABC reported. She was accused of defrauding businesses of about $275,000 over 10 months, including hotels, restaurants, banks and a private jet company, the news outlet reported.
ABC 20/20 is digging into the case in a new episode, “The Sinfluencer of Soho,” which airs tonight, Friday, October 1, 2021, at 9 p.m. Eastern time.
Here’s what you need to know:
Prosecutors Argued Sorokin’s Instagram Page Shows She Has Not Changed Her Behavior & Said She Should Remain in ICE Custody
An immigration judge ruled in April that Sorokin should remain in ICE custody, taking action that sided with an ICE attorney, according to Insider. The attorney pointed to Sorokin’s Instagram page, saying her posts indicate she had not been rehabilitated. The Instagram page, which uses the name “The Anna Delvey,” describes her as a “professional defendant.” It also says she is “reinventing Anna.”
The judge determined Sorokin should remain in Bergen County jail in New Jersey, describing her as a “danger to society,” her attorney, Audrey A. Thomas, told Insider.
Thomas told Insider she believes her client is being treated unfairly.
“I have two guys who came here illegally,” she told Insider. “One of them had 150 pounds of weed, got deported, came back illegally and immigration let him out. And they’re keeping Anna.”
“I have a guy who was charged with a home invasion, got out on bond, absconded, and then came back,” she added, according to Insider. “Then they caught him and immigration just let him out. And he has an open criminal case.”
It is unclear whether Sorokin remains in ICE custody today. ABC News reported she is still being held on an ICE detainer, and that officials are considering whether she should be deported. However, a search of ICE detainees returned no results for Sorokin. The Bergen County Jail, where Insider reported she was being held, also returned no search results for Sorokin.
Her Instagram page has shown no activity since March.
Sorokin Was Released From Prison Early for Good Behavior & Placed on Parole; She Sold Her Story Rights to Netflix
Sorokin was booked into the New York Department of Corrections May 15, 2019, and released in February, 2021, according to her prison record. She was released from Kings County and placed on parole, the jail record says.
Here is her prison record:
VINELinkAnna Sorokin’s prison record.
Sorokin faced trial on eight counts, and she was convicted in May 2019, according to ABC News. Her charges included grand larceny and theft of services. She was sentenced to spend four to 12 years in prison and served slightly less than four years before she was released on good behavior, the news outlet reported. She was also ordered to pay $24,000 in fines and $200,000 in restitution, ABC News reported.
Sorokin sold the rights to her story to Netflix and Shonda Rimes, ABC News reported. However, New York law prevents convicted criminals from turning a profit for their crimes, the news outlet said. She must first repay her victims with the money, ABC reported. Insider reported that the rights were sold for $320,000. The Netflix series, “Inventing Anna,” will be released in 2021, Netflix reported.
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