THE NEWSPAPER | A Ukrainian woman who managed to infiltrate the entourage of former US President Donald Trump by posing as a wealthy heiress would also be the subject of an investigation in Quebec in connection with a fraudulent charity, reported two American media yesterday.
The unusual story is that of Inna Yaschyshyn, a 33-year-old Ukrainian who allegedly cheated the security of Donald Trump’s lavish residence by posing as an heir to the wealthy Rothschild family. She even managed to get her picture taken alongside the former president, whom she met on her private golf course in May 2021.
“She wasn’t just using the name. She spoke of the vineyards and family estates, and of her youth in Monaco”, related to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette John LeFevre, a former investment banker who met her at a club pool. This newspaper investigated the story in conjunction with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).
Photo screenshot taken from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette website.
A fake Canadian passport in the name of Anna de Rothschild.
Created from scratch
False identity cards, Rolex watch on the wrist, Mercedes-Benz SUV worth $170,000: it is under the created identity of “Anna de Rothschild” that the guests at the luxurious residence of Trump in Florida, Mar-a-Lago, knew the 30-something.
This woman had managed to obtain an initial invitation from a founder of a financial services company in New York – and a supporter of Trump – to go to the residence of the former president.
The next day, she met him at an event at his private golf course, a few kilometers from his residence.
Photo screenshot taken from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette website.
In a video shared by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, a man is heard asking her for a million dollars for her picture with Trump.
“Anna, you are a Rothschild. You can afford to pay a million dollars for the photo of Trump and you, ”a man can be heard throwing at the golfer in a video shared by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
The false heiress would have gone to the home several times. It was not until March 2022 that the entourage of the ex-president would have been informed of the ruse.
Safety concern
Just weeks after searches of the former president’s house revealed that at least 184 classified documents – including 25 top-secret – were in an unsecured room, the new information raises serious concerns about the ease of entering Mar -a-Lago.
This requires a more comprehensive level of protection and more thorough background checks, Ed Martin, a former special agent with the Treasury Department, told OCCRP.
“It’s his residence. She shouldn’t have been there,” he added.
According to a former business partner of Inna Yaschyshyn, Valeriy Tarasenko, she created the ruse to form ties with politicians and business people, he allegedly stated in an affidavit to the court for another trial, where he describes her as a cheat and a predator.
The latter, who in turn filed an injunction against him for domestic violence, defended herself by swearing to the court that she had never taken a name that was not hers.
Under investigation with us
President of the United Hearts of Mercy charity in Montreal and suspected of being a front to hide illicit funds, Inna Yaschyshyn is under investigation by the FBI and a police force in Quebec, American media reported.
The newspaper could not confirm yesterday that an investigation was open on this side of the border in connection with these allegations.
As of yesterday, there was still at least one company registered in his name in Montreal.
‐ With Roxane Trudel