Crime

Fake German heiress Anna Sorokin released from prison in fraud case

In this April 25, 2019, photo, Anna Sorokin sits at the defense table during jury deliberations in her trial at New York State Supreme Court. Richard Drew / AP, File

By Associated Press

February 12, 2021

NEW YORK (AP) — Anna Sorokin, a grifter convicted of paying for a lavish lifestyle by impersonating a wealthy German heiress, has been released from a New York prison.

A state website shows that Sorokin was freed into parole on Thursday.

A Manhattan jury found the 29-year-old Sorokin guilty in April 2019 of grand larceny and other charges.

Prosecutors had accused her of tricking people into believing she was an heiress with a fortune of about $67 million (60 million euros) by claiming her father was a diplomat or an oil baron. They said she used the funds to cover her high-end clothing, luxury hotel stays and trans-Atlantic travel.

In one instance, prosecutors said she forged financial records in an application for a $22 million loan to fund a private arts club. She was denied the loan but persuaded one bank to lend her $100,000 she failed to repay.

It’s unclear where Sorokin will be living. A message was left Friday seeking comment from Sorokin’s lawyer.