The German impostor Anna Sorokin, who spent more than four years in prison in New York, was actually supposed to be deported to Frankfurt – but apparently this was prevented, as the “Spiegel” reports.
The US immigration service ICE originally wanted to take the thirty-one-year-old on a United scheduled flight from New York to Frankfurt, which was supposed to leave the United States at around 9 p.m.
According to "Spiegel", Sorokin's lawyers were able to stop the deportation just before driving to the airport.
Apparently, a deadline for the final decision had not yet expired.
The US side said Sorokin refused to leave the immigration detention center.
The authorities would now try to find a new deportation date.
Sorokin, who was born in Russia and grew up in Eschweiler, North Rhine-Westphalia, was sentenced to four to 12 years in prison in 2019 for fraud.
The daughter of a truck driver had previously posed as a wealthy heiress in Manhattan to swindle more than $275,000 from banks and acquaintances.
Sorokin is said to have spent the money on travel, fashion and luxury hotels.
Even during the fraud process, the criminal, known in America as a "salon fraudster", negotiated the film rights for her story, which can now be seen on Netflix under the title "Inventing Anna".
When Sorokin was released early from prison for good behavior in early 2021, she decided to stay in New York.
Because she was in the United States without a visa, she was arrested again and awaiting deportation in an illegal immigration detention center.