German woman Anna Sorokin who posed as billionaire New York heiresss and scammed more than $200,000 from banks released from US prison

A German woman who posed as a billionaire heiress in New York has been released from prison.

According to US media reports, Anna Sorokin, who pretended to be a wealthy socialite named Anna Delvey, was released from prison on Thursday Feb. 11th.

She was imprisoned after she was found guilty in 2019 of theft of services and grand larceny, having scammed more than $200,000 (£145,000) from banks and luxury hotels.

In October last year, she apologised at a parole hearing saying she understood how victims suffered because of her financial crimes

“I just want to say that I’m really ashamed and I’m really sorry for what I did,” the New York Post, who obtained a transcript, quoted Sorokin as saying. 

“I completely understand that a lot of people suffered when I thought I was not doing anything wrong.”

Her story came to international attention in 2018 after a hit New York Magazine feature by writer Jessica Pressler.

During her trial, prosecutors told how Sorokin, under the assumed name of Anna Delvey, pretended she was worth about $60m with a trust fund in Europe.

Maintaining the fake image for several years, Sorokin used that image to facilitate a luxury lifestyle where she lived in a lavish New York hotel and ate out at stylish restaurants.

She tried to get a $22m loan for a foundation in her name and used forged financial documents to maintain the charade.

She even managed to get a $100,000 overdraft loan from one bank.

Her lawyer, Todd Spodek, argued in court that Sorokin had tried to “fake it until she could make it” and had been “easily seduced by glamour and glitz” of life in New York.

She was found guilty of eight counts and acquitted of two others.

Her life story is now being turned into a Netflix series .