fictitious German heiress The star of the popular Netflix drama Inventing Anna, Anna Delvey, has talked about her house arrest following her release from prison and "trying to fix what I've done wrong."
Delvey expressed her happiness at returning to Manhattan in her first interview following her release from the Orange County Detention Center, where she had been held for 18 months after US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) found she had overstayed her visa. She also praised her lawyer for "aligning with her vision" and fighting to secure her bail.
There were no guarantees. Before, bail was rejected. Perseverance was tested," Delvey told The New York Times. "So many immigration lawyers told me that before I even left New York, I would be deported to Mars. And all I had to do to make it happen was find the person who "[wouldn't] take no for an answer."
Delvey, 31, defrauded big banks and her friends out of hundreds of thousands of dollars before she was found guilty of fraud and grand larceny in 2019 and given a sentence of four to 12 years in prison. Delvey was briefly released in February 2021 after compensating her victims before being detained by ICE.
According to documents obtained by The Daily Beast, a judge ordered her release on house arrest earlier this week after concluding that her "risk of flight [is] sufficiently mitigated" and that it was difficult for her to avoid detention due to her "public figure" status.
Delvey explained to the Times that she decided against fighting her German immigration case because she didn't want people to assume she was only concerned with accumulating "obscene wealth" and couldn't handle spending time in jail.
And that's just not reality, she continued. I had the option of leaving, but I opted against doing so because I want to make amends for my mistakes. I felt like I would be fleeing something if I were in Europe because I have so much history in New York. But if being locked up doesn't disprove people's beliefs, what will?" she asked.
Delvey told the Times to "ask the government" when asked where she got the money to pay for her $10,000 bail as well as her East Village apartment rent, which included three months up front. She clarified that she owned the money.
"My attorney, John Sandweg, found [the apartment] for me. Of course, being in jail prevented me from doing anything. It was all due to my wonderful team, who are here to support me, she added.
Regarding the advantages of being under house arrest, Delvey stated that she anticipates better food and is looking forward to having visitors on Thursdays after 1.30pm.
Delvey also disclosed to the Times that she now calls her parents "every other day" and that she and her parents had improved communication. Delvey said she has a lot more going on and has recently been working on a podcast, even though she is enthusiastic about picking up her artistic work again.
But it hasn't yet taken shape. It was challenging to record anything of excellent quality while in jail, according to Delvey. Then there's my book, too. To sort of draw attention to the hardships of other girls, I'd love to take on something with criminal justice reform.
She went on to say that she would not let her detractors enjoy watching her fail and warned them not to anticipate her doing anything "crazy or criminal".
"Being in jail taught me a lot of things. How I've felt about everything has a pretty well-documented arc. If I just switched in one day, that wouldn't be appropriate, Delvey told the Times. "I regret how the situation turned out. I've made an effort to learn from my experience, realising that the choices I made in the past have shaped who I am today.
Judge Conroy stated that Delvey had shown "intent in seeking legal employment in the United States, endeavours that will undergo severe public scrutiny," which ultimately will reduce her flight risk, in a decision earlier this week.
Ms. Devey was found guilty of defrauding hotels, banks, and other institutions out of more than $200,000 (£147,000) at her trial in 2019. She pretended to be a German heiress in order to defraud coworkers and friends of a sizable sum of money.
The Netflix series Inventing Anna dramatised the tale of the con man who was born in Russia. Netflix allegedly paid Delvey $320,000, but her funds were frozen and used to compensate her victims, according to an insider.
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