Wednesday, 24 Apr 2024

Banker sent fake heiress Anna Sorokin flirty texts as she tried to secure $22M loan

A married banker assigned to work on a multimillion-dollar loan for fake heiress Anna Sorokin didn’t give her a credit line — but he allegedly gave her some pick up lines.

The accused scam artist’s lawyer said in court at her fraud trial Monday that a worker at the private equity fund Fortress sent her steamy text messages hitting on her after the 28-year-old tried to secure a $22 million loan from the company.

Dennis Onabajo allegedly thought she was a German scion worth $60 million euros.

“I’m forcing myself not to kiss you because you are insanely beautiful,” Onabajo texted her March 11, 2017, a month after Fortress rejected her loan application, which he was tasked with vetting, according to Sorokin’s defense team.

After a meeting at Sorokin’s luxury boutique hotel, 11 Howard, where she was living at the time, Onabajo boldly texted: “Let me come upstairs and say a proper good-bye.”

Sorokin — who is accused of lying to get the loan — declined.

In total, Onabajo sent her 158 texts.

Jurors heard about the flirty exchanges in defense attorney Todd Spodek’s opening statement last week. But they came up again Monday when the lawyer asked the judge to let him question Onabajo’s then-boss, Spencer Garfield, in detail about the messages.

Garfield said he didn’t know about the communications and Justice Diane Kiesel wouldn’t let Spodek pursue the topic further.

Onabajo left Fortress for another financial firm two months after allegedly expressing romantic interest in Sorokin. He could not be reached for comment.

Garfield testified that a partner at white-shoe law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher introduced him to Sorokin, who wanted a loan to start a Manhattan art club that catered to the city’s elite.

But after Sorokin failed to provide proof of her fortune, Garfield closed her application in February 2017.

Spodek had argued that Sorokin can’t be guilty of attempted grand larceny for trying to obtain the loan because she was never close to getting it.

Prosecutors say that Sorokin’s scams include inviting a pal on an all-expenses paid trip to Morocco then sticking her with the $62,000 tab.

She faces grand larceny, attempted grand larceny and theft of services charges for which she faces up to 15 years on the top count.

Sorokin did not have any wardrobe problems Monday, as she showed up in a black designer outfit that was prepared for her by the sylist that she had procured for her trial.

On Friday her hearing was delayed and we as forced to wear jail-issued clothes as her fancy outfits did not arrive in a condition that was suitable to her.

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