() — A judge has ruled that Anna Sorokin, the bogus heiress on whom the Netflix series “Inventing Anna” is based, can be released from jail on bail while she fights deportation, if certain conditions are met.
According to court records, Immigration Judge Charles Conroy ruled this week that Sorokin can be released on $10,000 bond from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. But he also ruled that she must remain confined 24 hours a day to a residential address and refrain from accessing any social media, either directly or through a proxy, while her case continues.
“This sentence does not mean that Anna will be spared. She will continue to face removal proceedings and her release will be closely monitored by ICE and the State of New York,” attorney John Sandweg, a former US attorney, said in a statement Thursday. Acting Director of ICE who is one of Sorokin’s attorneys. “However, as the Court has determined, the evidence has clearly shown that any risks can be more than adequately mitigated through appropriate supervision.”
The judge’s ruling also says ICE can use an ankle monitor to monitor Sorokin once she is released.
As of Thursday afternoon, Sorokin, 31, remained in ICE custody, an agency spokesman said.
According to his attorney, Sorokin has been in ICE custody for 17 months, primarily in the Orange County Correctional Center in upstate New York.
Sorokin was convicted of stealing more than $200,000 from banks and friends while defrauding New York society, the Manhattan district attorney said after her 2019 conviction.
His case attracted widespread attention after an article in a 2018 New York magazine.
That article became the basis for Shonda Rhimes’ “Inventing Anna,” a dramatization that premiered on Netflix in February and quickly became a hit. one of the most popular programs of the streaming platform.
Actress Julia Garner, best known for her Emmy-winning role as Ruth in “Ozark,” played Sorokin.
Sorokin sued ICE over COVID booster shot
The series ends with Sorokin’s conviction. But in real life, the drama has continued.
Sorokin was released from prison in February 2021 after serving nearly four years on robbery and larceny charges. But it wasn’t long before he ended up back behind bars.
ICE took custody of Sorokin on March 25, 2021. In November, the Board of Immigration Appeals granted an emergency stay in his case, according to ICE. Sorokin has been fighting his deportation, and also joined a lawsuit against the agency earlier this year, alleging that they had requested and been denied a COVID-19 booster shot while in custody. According to court records, the group dropped the lawsuit in March after receiving the shots.
Sorokin’s social media accounts have remained active while she has been detained. Sorokin’s artwork was recently published and featured in an exhibition in New York in May.
Earlier this year, an attorney representing Sorokin told NBC News that he feared deportation because he couldn’t contact her, but it later emerged that she was still in ICE custody.
Sorokin gave an interview behind bars
Shortly after, Sorokin spoke from behind bars, telling the podcast “Call Her Daddy” who never claimed to be a German heiress.
“I was from Germany, which was true, but no one ever asked me about my work,” Sorokin said. “Nobody asks who your parents are and how much money they make. It’s just outrageous.”
Sorokin told host Alex Cooper that he never “told any nonsense lies.”
But he admitted — more or less — that he lied about his status and background.
“I guess I did,” he said. “I mean, I can’t say an exact case, but I’m sure.”
Sorokin also said that he was surprised by the public’s fascination with his story.
“I was very surprised that people were so interested in my acting, because it made a lot of sense to me,” he said.
— Priscilla Alvarez, Lisa Respers France and Marianne Garvey contributed reporting.
