Anna Delvey – the con artist and faux socialite who went viral for scamming New York’s top bankers, luxury hotels, and elite socialites out of thousands of dollars as detailed in the Netflix series Inventing Anna – is being released from jail…but has to stay off social media.
‘She will be required to abide by conditions of release imposed both by the New York State Parole Board and immigration authorities, which, combined with her status as a public figure, will make it particularly difficult for her to avoid detection,’ U.S. immigration judge Charles Conroy announced on Wednesday.
‘We are extremely gratified by the court’s decision today to release Anna Sorokin,’ said Duncan Levin, Anna’s lawyer. ‘The judge rightfully recognized that Anna is not a danger to the community.’
Anna (whose real surname is Sorokin) was first convicted of fraud in April 2019 after conning over $200,000 from various friends and businesses was sentenced to face between four and 12 years in jail. Yet, in February 2021, she was released on parole for good behaviour after paying restitution with the money she made from Netflix’s Inventing Anna series. However, just six weeks later, Anna was placed in detention for an expired Visa. Hectic!
But in true Sorokin style, Anna hasn’t let prison stop her hustling. She’s appeared on numerous podcasts (including Call Her Daddy), had a solo exhibition at New York’s Public Hotel (reviews were mixed) and as a group show titled ‘Free Anna Delvey’ which funded her appeal.
Not only has Anna’s ambition made her more famous, it’s also ‘actually helped her get out of jail,’ according to reports from Daily Beast as it’s now harder for her, as a public figure, to flee: ‘[Sorokin has] demonstrated interest in pursuing legitimate employment in the United States,’ said the judge. ‘Pursuits that will face heaving public scrutiny.’
Anna will have to stay under 24-hour confinement upon her release, which she’s completing at an unknown address (hopefully not an unwitting hotel) ‘for the duration of her immigration proceedings’. Before this can happen, Anna needs to post a $10,000 bond: ‘There are still a few hurdles to jump through,’ her lawyer said. ‘Anna is thrilled to be getting out so she can focus on appealing her wrongful conviction.’
So, what’s next for Anna under house arrest? In June, she got into the NFT business and also claimed she intended to launch a law firm. But the real goal is seemingly to get a clean slate from the public. ‘[I’m] trying to move away from this…scammer person,’ she told NBC in June. Let's see how that goes...