Anna Sorokin, known in New York as Anna Delvey, is currently on trial for a series of frauds, which allowed her to raise $ 275,000 through various subterfuge and to spend most of it at full speed.
Arriving in the largest city of the United States in early 2016, this young woman of Russian origin with a youthful face stayed, by eye, in several large hotels in Manhattan, whose employees were, each time, mystified by his aplomb.
At the hearing on Thursday, the manager of trendy hotel The Beekman recounted how she left a slate of more than $ 11,000 and disappeared after 16 nights at the establishment.
«If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere»
As she had done in Paris, where she was for a time an intern at Purple Fashion magazine, she quickly mingled with the regulars of trendy places in New York, some of whom have welcomed her into their circles.
She had invented a character for herself, that of a rich German heiress, the daughter of a Russian truck driver, who arrived in Germany at the age of 16.
“If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere”. If I can get it here, I’ll get it anywhere. At the opening of the trial at the end of March, Todd Spodek, his lawyer, quoted the song “New York, New York” by Frank Sinatra.
“Anna had to step in the door to have her chance in life,” pleaded the lawyer before judge Diane Kiesel, who has repeatedly criticized the accused, now 28 years old, for her escapades at the hearing.
She had thus refused, on several occasions, to introduce herself, considering that the outfit chosen by her personal stylist was not to her taste. “This is not a fashion show!”, Notably launched the magistrate, exasperated.
$ 35 million loan
To fuel her lavish lifestyle, Anna Sorokin managed to obtain a loan from the American City National bank and also managed to cash a series of fake checks. But his projects were much more ambitious and centered around an upscale nightclub project with an art gallery touch.
Ensuring to be at the head of a heritage of 60 million euros, she sought to borrow up to $ 35 million to finance the launch of this place, after having convinced a powerful promoter to offer him premises on the prestigious Park Avenue. In the end, she never got this loan.
Always armed with this flawless guts, she also convinced the Blade airline to charter her a private jet to go to Omaha (Nebraska), to attend the annual conference of investor guru Warren Buffett. Invoice for the operation, never honored: $ 35,000.
Blurred photographer
Detained for a year and a half in the infamous New York prison on Rikers Island, Anna Sorokin faces up to 15 years in prison. Her story was revealed to the general public by an article in Vanity Fair magazine, written by a photographer for the monthly who had become friends with Anna Sorokin, before she fell into a trap.
After staying with the young woman at the legendary Moroccan palace “La Mamounia”, the photographer was forced to pay the bill, more than $ 62,000, more than her annual salary.
The rights to the Vanity Fair story have been bought by director and actress Lena Dunham, who will make it into a series for cable channel HBO. Those of another river article, that of the magazine New York, were acquired by the famous producer Shonda Rhimes, for another series, for Netflix this one.
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