Anna Sorokin: Fake heiress apologises as she is sentenced

A German woman who posed as a billionaire heiress to swindle New York hotels and banks has been sentenced to at least four years in prison.

“I apologise for the mistakes I made,” Anna Sorokin, 28, said shortly before she learned her fate.

She was found guilty in April of theft of services and grand larceny, having stolen more than $200,000 (£153,580).

Sorokin, who rejected a plea deal, may face deportation to Germany.

She was sentenced on Thursday at Manhattan Supreme Court to between four and 12 years in prison. The actual amount of time she will serve behind bars will depend on factors such as her behaviour.

Sorokin will receive credit for time already served, having been in custody at New York’s notorious Rikers Island jail since October 2017.

She was also fined $24,000 and ordered to pay restitution of about $199,000.

At the hearing, Judge Diane Kiesel rejected the defence lawyers’ claim that Sorokin was merely trying to make it in New York, in the words of the Frank Sinatra song about the city.

The judge said the Sorokin case instead reminded her of the Bruce Springsteen song, Blinded by the Light.

“She was blinded by the glitter and glamour of New York City,” said Judge Kiesel, according to Buzzfeed.

The judge reportedly also said she was “stunned” by the depths of Sorokin’s deception. Read more

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