Anne Hathaway's ex to be released

Loretto, Pennsylvania - An Italian ex-boyfriend of actress Anne Hathaway is about to be released from a US federal prison following a real-estate scam.

Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesperson Chris Burke says Raffaello Follieri is scheduled to be released on Friday from a prison in Pennsylvania.

Follieri pleaded guilty to cheating investors by falsely claiming he had Vatican connections that enabled him to buy church property at a discount.

He was sentenced in 2008 to four-and-a-half years in prison.

Follieri agrees he owes more than $3.6m to those he ripped off.

The proceeds supported a playboy lifestyle that included a $37 000-a-month New York City apartment and lavish vacations with the star of <em>The Princess Diaries</em>, who dated him for four years.

Hathaway began dating actor Adam Shulman in November 2008 and the couple became engaged in November 2011.