Michele Roosevelt Edwards

Michele Roosevelt Edwards (Michele Ballarin before 2020, While a student there, she met a real estate developer 35 years her senior named Edward Golden, whom she soon married. Their son was born in 1981, when Ballarin was 26 years old. Edwards told interviewers that the mansion was her home. According to The Washington Post, however, the mansion was listed for sale and its owner had not given permission to Edwards, who is a licensed real estate agent in the state of Virginia, to use the house.

Business and politics As Michele Golden, she became active in the Republican Party and in West Virginia politics. In 1984, she was a candidate for secretary of state. In 1986, she won the Republican primary to represent West Virginia's 2nd District in Congress, but was defeated in the general election by Democratic incumbent Harley O. Staggers Jr.

After her failed run for Congress, Edwards focused on sewing children's clothing. She stated "I was known as the Coco Chanel in the children's industry".

She is registered to vote as a Republican in Palm Beach, Florida. In 2007, she advertised her Gulf Security Group to the CIA as having the "singular objective" of fighting terrorism near the Horn of Africa. It further said Gulf Security "will enable successful mission outcome without fingerprint, footprint or flag, and provide total deniability." The CIA wrote back that the CIA was "not interested in your unsolicited proposal and does not authorize you to take any activities on its behalf."

Piracy She negotiated on behalf of the MV Faina, being held hostage during the height of Somali piracy in the 2000s. The Ukrainians complained to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a leaked diplomatic cable that Edwards had "absolutely no authority from the owner of the vessel". At the time she boasted that she planned on negotiating the release of all 17 ships being held by pirates. Despite her claims, the Faina piracy was resolved without signs of her effort.

She also negotiated for the MV Sirius Star.

In 2010 Edwards told William McNulty that she was involved in negotiating the release of Paul and Rachel Chandler, who were captured on their yacht. Edwards also took credit for the release in 2013.

The system fell apart, despite being "cleared by the DoD and the [CIA]", further stating "Sometimes the government can't get things done, and they have come to see us. I can't say more than that. Some things just shouldn't be talked about."

USAerospace

Ballarin is CEO of USAerospace Partners (or USAerospace Associates), which in the summer of 2019 announced it would purchase failed Icelandic airline Wow Air (stylized as WOW air), with service to resume in October of that year. In September 2019, however, Ballarin's purchase was rejected over delayed payments. Her purchase of Wow's assets—consisting of 160 airplane seats, 500 airline service trolleys, and Wow's brand and other intellectual property—was subsequently completed, but flights did not commence.

After a letter printed on USAerospace letterhead promoting the theory failed to gain traction, a second firm headed by Edwards, The Institute for Good Governance, released a statement claiming that an Italian hacker had confessed his role in the purported conspiracy.