Fake heiress Anna Sorokin finally admits she 'ashamed' and 'sorry' for defrauding her wealthy pals and New York hotels as she faces early prison release in February
Anna Sorokin, the infamous grifter who climbed her way up the New York City social scene, has apologized for her crimes for the first time.
Speaking to a parole board during an October 6 hearing, the 29-year-old socialite wannabe expressed how remorseful she was.
Sorokin is serving 4 to 12 years in state prison, and has been fined $24,000, and ordered to pay restitution of about $199,000 for defrauding New York hotels and wealthy acquaintances.
'I just want to say that I'm really ashamed and I'm really sorry for what I did,' she said according to the transcript of the hearing, the New York Post reports.
Speaking to a parole board during an October 6 hearing, the 29-year-old socialite wannabe expressed how remorseful she was (pictured last year in May)
'I completely understand that a lot of people suffered when I thought I was not doing anything wrong.'
Sorokin's apology came after Commissioner Marc Coppola shared concern that the woman had been 'flippant' about her crimes. He also said during the hearing, held over video, that Sorokin didn't appear to regret her actions given an interview she gave with the New York Times.
'The thing is, I'm not sorry. I'd be lying to you and to everyone else and to myself if I said I was sorry for anything,' she said after being sentenced.
Sorokin is currently incarcerated at Albion Correctional Facility, a medium-security facility in upstate New York, and is eligible for release as soon as February 15, 2021 - but faces deportation to Germany upon her release.
Sorokin's apology came after Commissioner Marc Coppola shared concern that the woman had been 'flippant.' He also said during the hearing, held over video, that Sorokin didn't appear to regret her actions
In April of last year, Sorokin was convicted of multiple counts of attempted grand larceny, theft of services, and larceny in the second degree for defrauding New York hotels and wealthy acquaintances
In October, she took to Instagram to write a fiery post telling members of the public to stop visiting her in jail unannounced because it is 'interfering with her sleeping schedule' and that she is 'kind of busy'.
Last year, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it had lodged a detainer request for Sorokin in New York and planned to deport her due to a visa overstay.
Sorokin was born in Russia but is a German citizen, after her family moved there when she was a teenager.
In April of last year, Sorokin was convicted of multiple counts of attempted grand larceny, theft of services, and larceny in the second degree for defrauding New York hotels and wealthy acquaintances.
She was sentenced to serve 4 to 12 years in state prison, fined $24,000, and ordered to pay restitution of about $199,000
Sorokin at her trial at the New York State Supreme Court on April 24, 2019
She was sentenced to serve 4 to 12 years in state prison, fined $24,000, and ordered to pay restitution of about $199,000.
Her tale is the subject of television series now under development at HBO and Netflix.
During the month-long trial, jurors were told how Sorokin lived in luxury New York hotel rooms that she couldn't afford, promised a friend an all-expenses trip to Morocco and then stiffed her with the $62,000 bill and peddled bogus bank statements in her quest for a $22 million loan for a private arts club.
Prosecutors portrayed Sorokin as a profligate con artist, while her lawyer insisted she was an aspiring businesswoman taken in by New York's extravagance.