On October 2017, in a rehab centre in Malibu, a once known and trusted New York socialite has just been arrested on six charges of grand larceny and three counts of misdemeanour thefts. From Cartier cuffs to handcuffs, Hermes orange to an orange jumpsuit this is the story of Anna Delvey the SoHo grifter.Our story begins in New York 2016 a girl known as Anna Delvey has begun to make a name for herself on the social scene for her extravagant taste and a wallet to match. Anna Delvey is seen to jet-set via private jet around the world claiming to be attending important business meetings. While in New York she is known to stay at the most luxurious hotels like The Standard, The Beekman and 11 Howard. She makes it known that her dream is to purchase real estate on Park Avenue South and open a SoHo house for art. To aid this venture she speaks to financial advisers, banks about loans and hires a PR company. Then she vanishes, supposedly on a trip back home to Germany.It’s February 2017 Anna Delvey is back in New York and staying at the 11 Howard where she wines and dines in the hotel owned restaurant, Le Cou Cou. Known to receive special made, off the menu meals by the chef and tip extravagantly to anyone who was of little service to her. By this time Anna has managed to effortlessly assimilate herself into the lives of the New York elite – her friends of choice: a vanity fair photo editor, a concierge at 11 Howard and a personal trainer.In May 2017 the façade begins to break as Anna’s outstanding bill at 11 Howard is not paid due to lack of a functioning credit card. The hotel changes the locks to her room and detains all her belongings. Anna covers part of the bill but is not able to pay all of it. She later flees with her friends on a trip to Morocco – in attendance, her close friend the photo editor for vanity fair. During the trip, they stay at a lavish 7000$/night villa. The photo editor claims in her vanity fair article that Anna offered to cover all costs during their stay from air travel to expensive Moroccan dresses. It is during this trip the façade completely breaks as the Moroccan villa goes to charge Anna for her stay and she asks her friend to cover the exuberant charge of 62,000$ with a promise to pay her back. Anna returns to New York in June 2017 where she leaves another 11,000$ unpaid bill at The Beekman. It was later after this that Anna was arrested in October.
So how did she do it and who is Anna Delvey? Born Anna Sorokin, she is a Russian born Girl who moved to Germany while she was 16. Anna Sorokin arrived in New York as Anna Delvey in 2013. She began by attempting to acquire a loan of 22 million dollars from City national bank claiming to have a fortune of 60 million pounds in assets in the UK. The bank asked for a 100,000$ deposit to run a background check which she paid from a different loan. She deposited fake cheques and always collected the money. She later pulled out of the 22-million-dollar loan but through her fake cheques, she managed to remain liquid.Keeping up appearances until the last moment even on her day in court Anna Delvey arrived professionally styled and dressed in designer clothing as she was sentenced 4 to 12 years in prison.This extraordinary story of the fall of this SoHo grifter is set to be developed into a Netflix series to be developed by Shonda Rhimes known for her famous shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal. Today Anna is reported to be without remorse from her prison cell in Rikers island only worried about who would play her in the upcoming Netflix series.
Words by Precious Njoki
Graphics by Katie Janes
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