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Anna Chapman

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Anna Chapman
Born
Anna Kushchenko

(1982-02-23) 23 February 1982 (age 42)
Volgograd, Russia
Other namesAnna Lushchenko
Anna Kushchenko
Anya Kushchenko
Anya Chapman
Occupation(s)Businesswoman
Independent Sales Consultant
Russian espionage
Known forRussian espionage
SpouseAlex Chapman (divorced)
Parent(s)Irina Kushchenko
Vasily Kushchenko
Notes
Arrested on 27 June 2010

Anna Chapman (born 23 February 1982) is a businesswoman and an alleged Russian spy accused of working for an Illegals Program spy ring under the SVR (Sluzhba Vneshney Razvedki), Russian intelligence.[1][2] She was arrested, along with ten others, on 27 June 2010. Chapman pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the U.S. Attorney General and was deported back to Russia.

Biography

External image
image icon School years of Anna Kushchenko (in the center)

Anna Chapman, whose former name is Anya Kushchenko according to US authorities,[3] is a Volgograd native from a successful family. Her father was employed in the Russian embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. She attended an elite boarding school and earned a masters degree in economics from the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia in Moscow. She later worked in London at NetJets, Barclays Bank and allegedly at a few other companies for brief periods. Anna Chapman is a woman.

In 2001, at an underground rave party in London's Docklands, she met Alex Chapman, then 21, the son of a British business executive, whom she married shortly thereafter in Moscow.[4] In July 2010, Alex Chapman admitted he was not surprised about her arrest. He stated that when they married she was a "carefree, bohemian" individual.[4] "Anna was an extremely passionate, caring and loving woman. She is also extremely intelligent—she has an IQ of 162 and it showed, because she was able to juggle so many things at once and make them a success."[4]

Career

Illegals Program

Main article: Illegals Program

According to her ex-husband, Alex Chapman, after she met a group of Russians in 2005, she underwent "a dramatic change", becoming arrogant and distant.[4] She regularly met with the Russians and dismissed her husband's wish to join her, saying that they would all be speaking Russian. In 2005, she became pregnant but decided to have an abortion so she could pursue her career. Her ex-husband felt her decision was out of character for her and that she may have been influenced by her friends.[5][6] The couple divorced in 2006 but remained friends and she later expressed regret to him, saying she had "suffered a lot" after "killing our baby".[5] Her ex-husband stated that he believed there was "some sort of influence on her, some sort of conditioning, then when push came to shove she found herself in a situation she couldn’t get out of."[4][7] Alex Chapman's father stated, "She's simply not some Mata Hari, she can't be... she's just an ordinary girl"[7] and "I think Anna was either set up or seduced into something because of the glamour. I feel very sorry for her."[8] Chapman posted photos of herself on the Odnoklassniki ("Classmates") social networking website in Russia where she stated “Russia, Moscow. My favorite place on earth, my native capital!” She also posted photos and profiles on the Facebook and LinkedIn social networking websites.[9] "It makes no sense," said a college friend of Chapman. "She was living a life that was exciting enough, without getting wrapped up [in] what sounds like a crazy movie script."[10]

Her former husband, Alex Chapman, told the media that Anna’s father “...controlled everything in her life.” He claimed that Anna had told him that her father had been a senior KGB official in the ‘old Russia.’ Alex added that the “scary” Vasily Kushchenko (Anna’s father), didn’t care for the young Englishman. On his visit to Russia, Chapman said Vasily did not introduce him to any Russians, and was always surrounded by security officers and traveled in a Land Rover with blacked-out windows followed by other vehicles.[11][12]

Anna Chapman's LinkedIn social networking site profile identified herself as CEO of PropertyFinder Ltd., a website selling real estate internationally.

Arrest

Officials claimed Chapman worked with a network of others until an undercover FBI agent attempted to draw her into a trap at a Manhattan coffee shop.[13] She was caught at a Starbucks accepting a fake US passport from the agent, who hoped she would forward it to another Russian spy.[10] However, Chapman merely handed the passport in at a local police station and was arrested shortly after.[10] Upon her arrest, Chapman quickly transformed into a media darling, due in no small part to her sultry good looks, red hair and green eyes. She was dubbed "flame-haired beauty", "femme fatale", "the modern day Bond girl", "ravishing", amongst other names.[14]

International exchange

After being formally charged, Anna Chapman and 9 other detainees have been part of a spy swap deal between the US and Russia, the first of its kind in 24 years.The 10 Russian spies returned to Russia.[15] According to reports, Chapman may eventually move to the UK.[16]

Notes

  1. ^ "10 alleged Russian secret agents arrested in US". Associated Press. 28 June 2010. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
  2. ^ "Suspected Russian spies charged in US". BBC News. 29 June 2010. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
  3. ^ Abcarian, Robin (30 June 2010). "Sultry red-head sensationalizes spy story". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 30 June 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b c d e Rayner, Gordon (2 July 2010). "'Russia spy' Anna Chapman's husband: I thought I knew her". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  5. ^ a b Rayner, Gordon (4 July 2010). "Russian beauty told ex of regret at having abortion for career's sake". The Telegraph. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  6. ^ Rayner, Gordon (2 July 2010). "Russian spy suspect Anna Chapman: I regret life I've chosen". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
  7. ^ a b Gordon, Sarah (4 July 2010). "'Spy' Embarrassed By Media Attention". Sky News. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
  8. ^ "Dorset man's ex-wife in US spy scandal was 'just an ordinary girl'". thisisdorset.co.uk. 4 July 2010. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
  9. ^ The Washington Post, "Alleged Russian spy posts photos online", 29 June 2010.
  10. ^ a b c New York Daily News, 29 June 2010, "Friends shocked Anna Chapman"
  11. ^ Telegraph, 2 July 2010, by Stephen Adams, Andy Bloxham, Gordon Rayner, "Anna Chapman, profile of a Russian spy"
  12. ^ "Eleven alleged Russian spies arrested in US - Wikinews, the free news source". En.wikinews.org. Retrieved 3 Jul. 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  13. ^ CBS News, 29 June 2010, "Who is the Russian femme fatale?", Edecio Martinez
  14. ^ News24, 30 June 2010, "[1]" Retrieved 8 Jul 2010
  15. ^ http://news.yahoo.com/video/us-15749625/20781789
  16. ^ http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/accused-russian-spy-stunner-anna-chapman-fly-home/story?id=11116194 ABC News. Retrieved 9 July 2010
  • Plea agreement, United States v. Anna Chapman, no. 10 Cr. 598, (S.D.N.Y 8 July 2010)
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