He defected to the United States in January 1990 with Veronica Pershina , Gorsha Sur , and Elena Krikanova and went to live with Lucile Begrow in Huntington Woods , Michigan for a few months . Shpilband was born in Moscow and defected to the United States in January 1990 . , with Veronica Pershina ( his wife ) , Gorsha Sur and Elena Krikanova .