The woman, however, was not a wealthy heiress, but instead the Ukrainian-born daughter of an Illinois truck driver, and with an allegedly shady background that linked her to charity fraud and organized crime. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Organized Crime Corruption and Reporting Project documented the strange and disturbing story of “Anna de Rothschild,” the woman who claimed to be a member of the Rothschild banking family who charmed her way into Mr. Trump’s property and power. center of the Republican party. The paper’s investigation found evidence suggesting Ms de Rothschild is actually 33-year-old Inna Yashchyshyn, a Ukrainian who immigrated to the US with her family and is now the subject of an FBI investigation into her alleged fake identity. and claims to have participated in financial schemes. The fact that someone could apparently cheat their way into a US powerhouse — as Mar-a-Lago has become thanks to Mr. Trump — is troubling enough. Adding to this concern is the fact that he had access to a facility where it is now known that sensitive US government documents were kept. A woman with the name ‘Anna de Rothschild’ – reportedly used by Ukrainian-born Inna Yashchyshyn – poses with former President Donald Trump and Senator Lindsey Graham at Mar-a-Lago. (Pittsburgh Post Gazette/Organized Crime Corruption and Reporting Project) “This is his residence,” Ed Martin, a former special agent with the U.S. Treasury Department who spent more than two decades in criminal intelligence, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “He shouldn’t have been in there.” The newspaper managed to speak with Ms. Yashchyshyn, who claims to be the victim in all of this. According to her, she did not know Mrs. de Rothschild and says she believes “there is some misunderstanding.” She claimed she met with FBI agents on August 19 and that some identification documents, including driver’s licenses and passports, bearing her photo and Ms. de Rothschild’s name, were fabricated. Identifications suggested Ms. de Rothschild lived in a $13 million mansion in Miami Beach, although there was no evidence she ever lived at the address. “This is all fake and nothing happened,” he told the newspaper. John LeFevre, a former investment banker who met the woman at Mar-a-Lago, told the newspaper that her alleged act was an “almost perfect ruse” and that “everyone was eating it up” at the club. The Secret Service would not confirm to reporters whether they were investigating the woman. “To maintain the operational integrity of our work, we are unable to comment specifically on the means, methods or resources used to conduct our protective operations,” Steven Kopec, a special agent and spokesman, said in a statement to newspaper. Charles Marino, a former Secret Service supervisor, told the paper that it needed to be determined whether the apparent ruse was an “intelligence hoax or threat.” “The fact that we’re asking this question is a problem,” he said. While she insists she is not Ms. de Rothschild, Ms. Yashchyshyn is the subject of criminal investigations by both the FBI and a major crimes unit in Quebec. Information about her alleged trips to Mar-a-Lago emerged during a legal dispute between her and a former close associate, Valery Tarasenko. Mr. Tarashenko is a 44-year-old businessman of Russian descent who now lives in Florida. He reportedly allowed her to live at his home in Miami in exchange for taking care of his children while he was away on business. Mr Tarashenko later accused Ms Yashchyshyn of abusing his children, a claim she vehemently denies. Mr. Tarashenko reportedly met twice with FBI agents and told them about her visits to Mar-a-Lago and her interactions with Trump, Senator Lindsey Graham and former Missouri governor Eric Greitens. She has since claimed that any attempts she made to secure funding were at the behest of Mr Tarashenko, claiming “I’m the victim right now”. Ms. Yashchyshyn is also under investigation for alleged financial fraud related to a Miami charity called United Hearts of Mercy, which used the same name as a charity in Canada founded by Mr. Tarashenko. He acted as chairman of the charity, but one of the group’s payment processors, Stripe Inc, suspected fraud and refused to take their money. The charity said its aim is to help families struggling during the pandemic. The group’s accountant, Tatiana Verzilina, told the newspaper that near the end of their campaign, she began receiving threatening phone calls from people in shrill voices who said they would kill her and her family if she did not release the money for their use. Another man who spoke to the FBI and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sergey Golbuev, said he agreed to a sham marriage with Ms. Yashchyshyn to help her obtain US residency. The FBI’s investigation into Ms. Yashchyshyn, her alleged financial crimes and her alleged false identity as Ms. de Rothschild is ongoing.
