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Chapman moved to London in 2000/1, working at [[NetJets]], [[Barclays Bank]] and allegedly at a few other companies for brief periods.<ref name="nydailynews1"/>
Chapman moved to London in 2000/1, working at [[NetJets]], [[Barclays Bank]] and allegedly at a few other companies for brief periods.<ref name="nydailynews1"/>


In 2001, at an underground [[rave]] party in [[London Docklands|London's Docklands]], she met Alex Chapman, then 21, the son of a British business executive. The couple married shortly thereafter in Moscow, and as a result she gained dual Russian-British citizenship, and a British passport.<ref name=BBC10620352/>
In 2001, at an underground [[rave]] party in [[London Docklands|London's Docklands]], she met Alex Chapman, then 21, the son of a British business executive. The couple married shortly thereafter in Moscow, and as a result she gained dual Russian-British citizenship, and a British passport.<ref name=BBC10620352/> After Anna was arrested in New York, Alex engaged media publicist [[Max Clifford]], and sold his story to ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' newspaper.<ref name="telegraph1">{{cite web |author= Gordon Rayner and Andy Bloxham |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/7866824/Russia-spy-Anna-Chapmans-husband-I-thought-I-knew-her.html |title='Russia spy' Anna Chapman's husband: I thought I knew her |publisher=Telegraph |date=July 02, 2010 |accessdate=2010-07-13}}</ref><ref>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/03/anna-chapmans-ex-husband_n_634747.html retrieved 17 Jul 2010</ref>


By 2003&ndash;2004, Alex stated that Anna had became distant, falling in with a group of ''"secretive, well-connected Russian friends."''<ref name="nydailynews1"/> During this period, he has said that she would often go out with other Russians without inviting him along because they would only be speaking [[Russian language|Russian]]. He has also stated that she seemed to have more access to money during this period, and often spoke of meeting influential people.<ref name="telegraph1"/> By 2005, the marriage had fallen apart and they divorced in 2006, but they remained in contact, according to Alex Chapman<ref>[http://newsru.com/world/06jul2010/secretsofanna.html Бывший муж "русской шпионки" Чапман рассказал об их интимной жизни и опубликовал ФОТО] [[NEWSru]], July 6th, 2010.</ref>
By 2003&ndash;2004, Alex stated that Anna had became distant, falling in with a group of ''"secretive, well-connected Russian friends."''<ref name="nydailynews1"/> During this period, he has said that she would often go out with other Russians without inviting him along because they would only be speaking [[Russian language|Russian]]. He has also stated that she seemed to have more access to money during this period, and often spoke of meeting influential people.<ref name="telegraph1"/> By 2005, the marriage had fallen apart and they divorced. Anna went back to Russia in 2006, but according to Alex they remained in contact.<ref name="telegraph1">


===New York: 2006-2010===
===New York: 2006-2010===

Revision as of 13:57, 19 July 2010

Anna Chapman
Born
Anna Kushchenko

(1982-02-23) 23 February 1982 (age 42)
Volgograd, Russia
Other namesAnna Kushchenko
Anya Kuschenko
Anya Chapman
Occupation(s)Businesswoman, independent sales consultant, Entrepreneur, and agent of the Russian Federation
Known forInvolvement with Russian Illegals Program
SpouseAlex Chapman (divorced)
Parent(s)Irina Kushchenko
Vasily Kushchenko
Notes
Arrested on 27 June 2010

Anna Chapman (born February 23, 1982) is a Russian business woman, who while living in New York, United States was arrested along with nine others on June 27, 2010, on suspicion of working for an Illegals Program spy ring under the Russian Federation's external intelligence agency, the SVR (Sluzhba Vneshney Razvedki).[1][2] 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 on July 8, 2010, as part of the 2010 Russia–United States Prisoner Swap.

Biography

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

Born Anna Kushchenko in Volgograd, according to US authorities,[3] her father was employed in the Russian embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. According to her British ex-husband, her father, Vasily Kushchenko, was also a senior KGB official, although this is unsubstantiated.[4] She attended an elite boarding school and earned a masters degree in economics from the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia in Moscow.

London: 2001-2006

Chapman moved to London in 2000/1, working at NetJets, Barclays Bank and allegedly at a few other companies for brief periods.[4]

In 2001, at an underground rave party in London's Docklands, she met Alex Chapman, then 21, the son of a British business executive. The couple married shortly thereafter in Moscow, and as a result she gained dual Russian-British citizenship, and a British passport.[5] After Anna was arrested in New York, Alex engaged media publicist Max Clifford, and sold his story to The Daily Telegraph newspaper.[6][7]

By 2003–2004, Alex stated that Anna had became distant, falling in with a group of "secretive, well-connected Russian friends."[4] During this period, he has said that she would often go out with other Russians without inviting him along because they would only be speaking Russian. He has also stated that she seemed to have more access to money during this period, and often spoke of meeting influential people.[6] By 2005, the marriage had fallen apart and they divorced. Anna went back to Russia in 2006, but according to Alex they remained in contact.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).[8]

Alex commented that their contact was less frequent in the subsequent year, and Anna was arrested on June 27, 2010. Anna is reported to have been dating Michel Bittan, a prominent New York restaurant owner, at the time of her arrest.[9]

Illegals Program and arrest

Main article: Illegals Program

The nature of Chapman's work with the Illegals Program is unclear to the public. Aside from her admission, and subsequent deportation, no concrete details have been provided of any spying activities. She is one of only two of the Russians arrested who did not use an assumed name.[10]

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.[11] The FBI agent offered Anna Chapman a fake passport at Starbucks, with the instructions to forward it to another spy. He asked "are you ready for this step?", to which Chapman unequivocally replied, "Shit. Of course." And accepted the passport. [12][13] However, after making a series of phone calls to her father, Vasily Kushchenko, in Moscow, Chapman ended up heeding her father's advice and handed the passport in at a local police station, but was arrested shortly after.[14][13]

Media coverage and popular reaction

After her arrest by the FBI for her involvement with the Illegals Program, Chapman gained overnight minor celebrity status while under custody.[3][15] She was dubbed the "flame-haired beauty", "femme fatale", "the modern day Bond girl" and "the stunning SoHo spy", by the media.[16] [17] [18] Photos of Chapman taken from her Facebook profile proliferated the web, and a dozen or more videos of her appeared on Youtube.[19] She was described as a regular of exclusive bars and restaurants in New York City, and magazines and blogs detailed her fashion style and dress sense.[20][21][22] Her ex-husband, Alex Chapman, engaged media publicist Max Clifford, and sold his story to The Daily Telegraph newspaper, which included semi-nude photographs and lurid tales of sexual prowess.[6][23] Current US Vice-President Joe Biden, appeared on NBC's "Tonight Show with Jay Leno". When asked by Leno, "Do we have any spies that hot?", the Vice-President replied in a mock serious tone, "Let me be clear. It was not my idea to send her back."[24] Chapman described her time in the US with the Charles Dickens quote, "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times".[25]

International exchange

Main article: 2010 Russia – United States prisoner swap

After being formally charged, Chapman and nine other detainees became part of a spy swap deal between the US and Russia, the first of its kind in 24 years. The 10 Russian agents returned to Russia via a chartered jet that landed at Vienna International Airport, where the swap occurred on the morning of July 8.[26] The Russian jet returned to Moscow's Domodedovo airport, where after landing the 10 spies were kept away from local and international press.

Revocation of UK citizenship

According to a statement from her US lawyer and media reports, Chapman wished to move to the UK.[27] As a result, the Home Office investigated the use of special powers by the British Home Secretary to deprive Chapman of her British citizenship,[28][29] only used against six people since their introduction in 2002, in part to make it easier to deport radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al Masri.[5] The Home Office issued legal papers revoking her citizenship on July 13, 2010.[30] Steps may also be taken to exclude Chapman, meaning she could not travel to the UK.[5]

Notes

  1. ^ "10 alleged Russian secret agents arrested in US". Associated Press. 28 June 2010. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
  2. ^ "Suspected Russian spies charged in US". BBC News. 29 June 2010. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
  3. ^ a b Abcarian, Robin (30 June 2010). "Sultry red-head sensationalizes spy story". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 13 July 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b c Lukas I. Alpert (July 05, 2010). "Russian spy babe's hot affair: Anna Chapman was kinky and 'great in bed,' says ex husband Alex". NYDailyNews.com. Retrieved 2010-07-13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ a b c "Russian spy Anna Chapman is stripped of UK citizenship". BBC News. 13 July 2010. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
  6. ^ a b c Gordon Rayner and Andy Bloxham (July 02, 2010). "'Russia spy' Anna Chapman's husband: I thought I knew her". Telegraph. Retrieved 2010-07-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/03/anna-chapmans-ex-husband_n_634747.html retrieved 17 Jul 2010
  8. ^ http://www.scribd.com/doc/33836446/NYC-Rentals-Business-Pitch retrieved 16 July 2010
  9. ^ Veronika Belenkaya, Sandra Ifraimova and Alison Gendar (July 01, 2010). "Accused Russian spy Anna Chapman was dating 60-year-old divorced dad Michel Bittan, friends say". Nydailynews.com. Retrieved 2010-07-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ Daniel Bates (29 June 2010). "Red-headed femme fatale among 11 'Russian deep cover agents' accused of Cold War-style plot to spy on America". Mail Online. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
  11. ^ Edecio Martinez (30 June 2010). "Who is the Russian "Femme Fatale"?". CBS News. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
  12. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/28_06_10_us_spies_complaint_1.pdf Retrieved 18 July 2010
  13. ^ a b Veronika Belenkaya, Robert Sgobbo and Alison Gendar (29 June 2010). "Friends shocked Anna Chapman, accused Russian spy, threw away life of luxury". New York Daily News. Retrieved 13 July 2010. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  14. ^ http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/07/12/2010-07-12_anna_chapmans_nervous_call_to_father_triggered_spy_arrests_report.html Retrieved 18 July 2010
  15. ^ Michael Wilson (8 July 2010). "She Had Us at Privyet". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  16. ^ News24, 30 June 2010, "[1]" Retrieved 8 Jul 2010
  17. ^ http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/russian-spy-ring-anna-chapman-accused-regular-nyc/story?id=11044883 Retrieved 28 Jul 2010
  18. ^ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/americas/a-modern-day-bond-girl/article1623799/ Retrieved 18 July 2010
  19. ^ http://blog.washingtonpost.com/spy-talk/2010/06/accused_russian_spy_is_an_inte.html Retrieved 18 July 2010.
  20. ^ http://www.fhm.com/girls/anna-chapman-is-a-sexy-russian-spy-20100630 Retrieved 18 July 2010
  21. ^ http://thestir.cafemom.com/beauty_style/106298/inspired_by_anna_chapman_what Retrieved 18 July 2010
  22. ^ http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/russian-spy-ring-anna-chapman-accused-regular-nyc/story?id=11044883 Retrieved 18 Jul 2010
  23. ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/03/anna-chapmans-ex-husband_n_634747.html retrieved 17 Jul 2010
  24. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10586484 Retrieved 18 July 2010
  25. ^ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1294450/Anna-Chapman-resurfaces-Facebook-quoting-Dickens-spying-ordeal.html?ito=feeds-newsxml retrieved 13 July 2010
  26. ^ "'Russian spies' deported; some kids to stay". News.yahoo.com. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  27. ^ Brian Ross, Anna Schecter and Megan Chuchmach (8 July 2010). "Accused Russian Spy Stunner Anna Chapman to Fly Home Today, Her Attorney Says". ABC News. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
  28. ^ "Spies swapped in Vienna are flown to Russia and the US". BBC News. July 08, 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  29. ^ Adam Arnold and Tom Bonnett (10 July 2010). "Spy's UK Citizenship Under Consideration". Sky News Online. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
  30. ^ "Russian spy UK citizenship revoked". Press Association. 13 July 2010. Retrieved 13 July 2010.

External links

  • Plea agreement, United States v. Anna Chapman, no. 10 Cr. 598, (S.D.N.Y 8 July 2010)
  • [2] US vs Anna Chapman Complaint
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