The fake heiress who rocked the New York socialite… A real money cushion seat after parole

In New York, USA, a woman who shook the social world by pretending to be the heiress of a leading family is on the rise again. After being sentenced to prison for a fraudulent loan, he was released on parole on the 11th (local time).

Fraudulent loan impersonating heiress for 4 years
Up to 12 years in prison for theft and fraud
Parole released mid-month, deported from Germany
Buying stories like Netflix

Called the reality version of Ripley, he is Ana Sorokin, 30 years old this year. A Russian-German, he suddenly appeared in the New York social world in 2013, claiming that he is the heir of a leading family with tens of billions of dollars. I was only in my mid-20s at the time Sorokin used the pseudonym’Ana Delby’ and mingled with people in New York’s fashion and art world. In the meantime, he enjoyed the luxury of buying luxury goods and traveling on luxury trips, and he posted this daily life on his social media.

This fake heiress act lasted for four years. During that period, he forged documents and borrowed more than $200,000 from banks. He came up with a grand business plan to create a high-end restaurant and membership club that displays art.

In order to maintain a luxurious life, the amount of fraud is in the tens of thousands of dollars, either by debts to acquaintances or by making payments for them. No one had ever seen his real estate. However, no one doubted Sorokin, who always wore luxury goods and handed over $100 (about 110,000 won) as a tip at a luxury hotel.

However, Sorokin’s actual background was very different from the appearance in his colorful social media posts. His father ran a small heating and cooling business in Germany, but he was far from a chaebol. Sorokin, who dropped out while attending an art school in London in 2011, worked as an intern for Purple Magazine, a Parisian fashion magazine. Here he came to adore the splendor of the high-class society, and at this time he created the pseudonym Anna Delby.

Sorokin’s double life ended after he was arrested in October 2017 on charges of theft and fraud.. The fraud was introduced in various media and received national attention. Sorokin’s acquaintance book, My Friend Anna: The Real Story of a Fake Heir, also became a bestseller. In the book, Williams said that he followed Sorokin on an extravagant trip to Morocco and paid a fee of 62,000 dollars (about 70 million won) instead.

Sorokin also attracted public attention during the trial process. Just like in a fraudulent play, he went to court wearing luxury clothing that his personal stylist chose.. I did not repent of my sins. He claimed that the people around him thought he was a millionaire, but he had never said that himself. “The important thing is that I am not sorry. His court statement, “If I feel guilty, I lied to myself and everyone,” his court statement also drew attention.

Eventually, Sorokin was sentenced to jail in 2019. Then, last year, he admitted to his crimes and changed his attitude to regret. According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and others, Sorokin is expected to be deported to Germany after parole.

Business Insider reported that Sorokin recently sold her story to Netflix and received $320,000 (about 366 million won).

But it seems he cannot have this money. This is because the US New York Court applied the’Sun of Sam’ law against Sorokin. This is a law that prohibits criminals from gaining profits from the reputation gained in crime, and local media said that Sorokin was the first to apply this law since 2001.

Sorokin used the money he received from Netflix to pay $200,000 in damage compensation, $24,000 in fines (about 27 million won), and $75,000 in lawyer fees (about 85 million won). It then agreed to pay 70,000 dollars (about 79 million won) in compensation to the bank that received additional loans.

According to the New York Post, HBO also paid $335,000 (about 375 million won) to Williams each to produce a video of “My Friend Anna,” which tells Sorokin’s story.

Reporter Seok Kyung-min [email protected]