Fake German heiress released from New York prison

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Anna Sorokin hears her sentence in a Manhattan courtroom, May 9, 2019. (AP File Photo)

NEW YORK - Anna Sorokin, who impersonated a wealthy German heiress to grift her way into living a lavish lifestyle, has been released from a prison in New York.

Sorokin, 30, got out on a "merit release" on Thursday, according to the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision's inmate lookup website. She served less than two years of a sentence that carried a minimum of four years behind bars.

A Manhattan jury found the Sorokin guilty in April 2019 of grand larceny and other charges. The next month, Judge Diane Kiesel, saying she was "stunned by the depth of the defendant's deception," sentenced Sorokin to between four and 12 years.

Sorokin was held at Albion Correctional Facility, a medium-security prison for women near Rochester. She wasn't eligible for parole until October but sometimes an inmate can be released earlier under certain circumstances, according to the Corrections Department. It is not clear what specific circumstances led to Sorokin's early release into parole.

Using the name Anna Delvey, Sorokin deceived friends and financial institutions into believing she had a fortune of about $67 million (60 million euros) overseas that would cover her high-end clothing, luxury hotel stays and trans-Atlantic travel, prosecutors said.

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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.

The AP on Friday left a message seeking comment from Sorokin's lawyer.

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With The Associated Press