Summary
Overview
In this deeply personal episode, journalist M. Gessen examines their cousin Alan's sentencing for hiring an undercover FBI agent to kill his ex-wife Priscilla. Through extensive prison interviews, Gessen explores Alan's transformation from a struggling Soviet immigrant to a McKinsey consultant, and attempts to understand how he arrived at such a desperate solution. The narrative weaves through Alan's difficult immigration experience, his need to be useful and solve problems, his relationship with his overbearing mother Lena, and his tumultuous marriage to Priscilla—ultimately revealing a man trapped between his love for his son O, his inability to win Priscilla's love, and his mother's controlling presence.
The Sentencing: Maximum Penalty
At Alan's sentencing hearing in April 2024, Judge Curley delivers the maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. Despite Alan's tearful apology and apparent contrition, the judge methodically outlines his multiple opportunities to abandon the murder-for-hire plot, noting the irony that Alan—who valued his relationship with his mother above all—was willing to deprive his children of theirs. The hearing leaves Gessen with the same unanswered question: why did Alan do it?
- Alan received the maximum sentence of 120 months in prison plus three years supervised release
- Judge Curley acknowledged Alan's remorse but emphasized he had multiple opportunities to stop the plot
- Alan apologized to Priscilla and said the biggest punishment was losing access to his children
- The judge noted the irony: Alan's bond with his mother was his strongest relationship, yet he would deprive his children of their mother
" You had opportunity after opportunity after opportunity. But you went forward. Because that was your intent. "
" It's so tragic that you have been such a generous and helpful person to all these other people. But we see that sometimes with domestic violence. "
Breaking the Ice: Prison Conversations Begin
Despite their distant relationship and Alan's history of lying under oath, Gessen begins daily phone conversations with Alan from prison. The interviews start poorly, with Alan recycling trial testimony and deflecting responsibility. But as they settle into a routine of nearly daily calls, an unexpected rapport develops, leading Gessen to try a different approach: starting from the beginning of Alan's life story.
- Alan reached out to Gessen shortly after sentencing, ready to talk after nearly two years of silence
- Initial conversations were frustrating, with Alan denying all accusations and offering convoluted explanations
- Gessen and Alan spoke almost daily, developing an unexpected connection after 50 years of minimal contact
- Alan claimed his arrest was incidental to a larger FBI investigation into money laundering
" I could imagine a parallel universe where you and I could be friends. "
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