Sunday night the FBI arrested Robert Philip Hanssen who has been charged with committing espionage. He began providing the Soviets with highly valuable material. He betrayed his wife. The double agent was arrested (above right) in 2001 by the FBI after leaving intel for them under a bridge in the park. In his new book, Gray Day: My Undercover Mission to Expose Americas First Cyber Spy (Crown), ONeill tells his story of risking his life in 2001 to bring down the operative. Christian owned a bakery and would make his son work for long hours as a kid. As O'Neill explained to the audience and often mentions in his book, Hanssen was ahead of his time. Under Mr. Hanssen's plea bargain, she. He has never answered that question for anyone. The couple, however, did not have a great relationship. In court proceedings the government stated that Hanssen had been paid more than $1.4 million during his spying career, most of which he never actually received, as it was held for him in a Russian bank. This is particularly timely as we move to the next generation of automation to support the FBIs information infrastructure. However, even though Hansen would go to church with his wife, nothing really changed. Much of what these men and women did remains undisclosed but their success and that of their CIA counterparts represents unparalleled expertise and dedication to both principle and mission. Robert Hanssen moments after being arrested. WASHINGTON -- Robert Hanssen, the longtime FBI agent accused of passing secrets to Moscow over 15 years, has reached a plea deal enabling him to avoid the death penalty in exchange for cooperating with investigators. It was not a very demanding job, said Sullivan. Hanssens espionage activities began in 1985. As they took him into custody, Hanssen turned to one and said, What took you so long?. After work each day, ONeill would secretly meet with his actual boss, Special Agent Kate Alleman, recalling everything Hanssen said and did which, as it turned out, would be nothing pleasant. Hanssen reportedly lavished cash and gifts on a Washington stripper whom he befriended. The Robert Hanssen Story" was released in 2002. 1980 - Begins working for the counterintelligence unit, focusing on the Soviet Union. May 10, 2002 - Is sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. The past few weeks have uncovered many allegations of FBI agent Robert Hanssen's betrayals: unmasking U.S. agents working in Russia and exposing a multimillion dollar American . The one thing the father and son would eventually have in common is their interest in hunting. When these two KGB officials returned to Moscow, they were tried and convicted on espionage charges and executed. Since becoming Director over seven years ago, I have administered the FBI oath to each graduating class of Special Agents at the FBI Academy. This story has been shared 106,031 times. They were finishing just as Hanssen texted that he was on his way back. Source: Netflix Article continues below advertisement Timeline. Enraged to the point that his fist was clenched in a tight ball, Hanssen ran through his usual list of insults Idiot! May 10, 2002. One day in February, when Hanssen was away, ONeill took a risk and snuck into his boss office. He pled. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. It is alleged that Hanssen provided to the former Soviet Union and subsequently to Russia substantial volumes of highly classified information that he acquired during the course of his job responsibilities in counterintelligence. In this article, Hansens dynamic with his own family is discussed to give you a better insight into the life of the now-deceased murderer. agent sentenced to life in prison on Friday after he pleaded guilty to spying for Moscow off and on for more than 20 years. Therefore, after he was given a 461-year sentence for his crimes, she chose to divorce him. A Justice Department spokesman, citing the inspector general's continuing review of the Hanssen case, refused to comment. '', She said her greatest ambition was to resume some form of normal life, adding, ''I would just like to disappear. Today in Security. In her statement, Bonnie Hanssen thanked government officials for allowing her to retain the pension and for recognizing that she and the children clearly are innocent victims.. They bought a modest, three-bedroom home in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., north of New York City. Chicago Tribune July 4, 2001. As alleged in the complaint, computer forensic analysis, substantial covert surveillance, court authorized searches and other sensitive techniques revealed that Hanssen has routinely accessed FBI records and clandestinely provided those records and other classified information to Russian intelligence officers. Mrs. Hanssen acknowledged in the interview that in about 1980, she discovered that her husband was having unauthorized dealings with the Russians, but said she never knew the extent of his actions. A turning point came in 2000, when the FBI and CIA were able to secure original Russian documentation of an American spy who appeared to be Hanssen. I live in Dallas, TX and growing up I was always the kid with "her nose in a book". She said she repeatedly questioned her husband to ensure that he was making the payments, and each time he insisted that he was. Hanssen, a 56-year-old counterintelligence specialist, was in the process of giving information to his Russian contacts in exchange for $50,000 in cash, FBI Director Louis Freeh said today. The complaint, however, does not allege any compromises by him at the State Department. I have asked Judge William H. Webster, and he has graciously agreed, to examine thoroughly the internal security functions and procedures of the FBI and recommend improvements. agent in Chicago. On February 18, 2001, Hanssen was arrested and charged with committing espionage on behalf of Russia and the former Soviet Union. '', See the article in its original context from. The plea bargain spared Hanssen the death penalty. By the time O'Neill slipped into the car on that fateful Sunday morning in 2001, an FBI operation was already underway to . 91 Followers. In order to put the double-crosser away forever, ONeill would need to put his life on the line again. The arrest of Robert Hanssen by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on charges of counterespionage represents a major crisis for the US intelligence apparatus. 1981 - Is assigned to the Intelligence Division at FBI headquarters in DC. His tale was also made into the 2007 movie Breach.. He betrayed his best friend, offering him up to the KGB. The full extent of the damage done is yet unknown because no accurate damage assessment could be conducted without jeopardizing the investigation. Make him angry. Robert Hanssen is accused of spying for the Soviet Union and is awaiting trial. Our hearts go out to them. Yet some investigators believed anger about how his father treated him as a child triggered a need to rebel against authority. Hanssenusing the alias Ramon Garcia with his Russian handlershad provided highly classified national security information to the Russians in exchange for more than $1.4 million in cash, bank funds, and diamonds. 42-67.) Caught off guard, he grabbed his guns but not his PalmPilot. Authorities say Hanssen was driven by greed, but Brookner rejected that assertion. officer based in Washington. That fall, Mr. Hanssen was transferred back to New York as a supervisor in charge of a counterintelligence squad. I raised my chin and met his eyes, puffed out my chest and stood with my feet shoulder-width apart. He was also tasked with observing and learning as much as he could about Hanssens information technology setup in his office and with keeping an eye out on who Hanssen was meeting and talking with. Robert Hanssen is a family man, devout Catholic, career FBI agent, and the most damaging spy in American history. Why are we still having these debates? Children: Lisa, Greg, Mark, John "Jack," Sue and Jane Education: Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, A.B. Hanssen appeared to be a devoted anti-communist. Never have we seen such a media fixation on any person accused of a crime whose religion bears . Sometime in the mid-1960s, Robert Hansen got married for the second time. The purloined PalmPilot gave the FBI the final piece of the puzzle: Hanssens next meeting with the Russians was scheduled for the following weekend. We've received your submission. After graduating from a public high school, Hanssen attended Knox College in Illinois, studying chemistry and Russian. Gallagher also told Hanssen that then-Director Louis Freeh had approved a two-year extension on his service and a promotion to the Senior Executive Service. One notable example was the information that the Americans had dug a tunnel under the Russian embassy in Washington to install sophisticated listening devices. . He pleaded guilty to 13 counts of espionage plus two related counts and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. As Hanssen walked back to his car, the arrest team rushed up and took him into custody. Hanssen, in full blowhard mode, got back in the car and the two took the slow route as he lectured ONeill. Now 74, he is serving time at ADX Florence, the federal supermax prison in Colorado. Furthermore, she supported her husband when he was first incarcerated for theft, and then for abducting and sexually abusing a housewife and a prostitute (although the rape charge concerning the latter was dropped when he pleaded guilty.) He also expressed his trademark annoyance. 's investigation of Mr. Hanssen, the former F.B.I. Robert Hanssen is a former FBI agent who sold highly classified material to Russian intelligence agents for decades before he was finally arrested in 2001. In it he betrayed three Soviet officers who were working for the Central Intelligence Agency and the bureau. In about 1985, after they had moved back to Washington and Mr. Hanssen was working at F.B.I. He then applied and was accepted into the FBI. He often steered conversations to talk of religion and his very conservative values, which were aligned with the very conservative Catholic organization Opus Dei. Anyone can read what you share. Intelligence. "Robert Hanssen, FBI Agent Who Became a Soviet Mole." Hanssen lived in suburban Virginia, was married, and had six children; he was a devout Catholic who went to Mass every week, sometimes every day. Instead, he ultimately became the most damaging spy in Bureau history. Literally, Hanssens colleagues and coworkers at the FBI conducted this investigation and did so quietly, securely and without hesitation. Robert was born in 1939 in Iowa to Danish immigrants Christian and Edna Hansen. An FBI arrest team moved into position at Foxstone Park, a location where Hanssen had been spotted before by FBI surveillance. The family hopes Mr. Hanssen will be sent to the federal prison in Allenwood, Pa., which would be close enough for Mrs. Hanssen to continue to visit regularly. A feature film called Breach was released in 2007. Regrettably, I stand here today both saddened and outraged. ALEXANDRIA, Virginia (CNN) -- Apologizing before a U.S. federal judge, former FBI agent Robert Hanssen was sentenced Friday to . Follow. December 2000 - The FBI begins surveillance of Hanssen. July 6, 2001 - Pleads guilty to 15 counts of espionage and conspiracy in exchange for the government not seeking the death penalty. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. He worked as a policeman in Chicago for three years and was placed on an elite unit that investigated corruption. The Robert Hanssen Story" was released in 2002. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much The level of support and expertise from Acting Deputy Attorney General Robert Mueller, Counsel for Intelligence Policy Frances Fragos Townsend, U.S. Attorney Helen Fahey and Assistant United States Attorney Randy Bellows is superb. She said she told the bureau the same thing immediately after her husband's arrest last year. ONeills next assignment would put him right into the lions den. Its amazing to live with a man for all those years and not know him.. Serial killer Robert Hansen confessed to killing 17 women in Alaska over a 12-year span, all while married with two children. He was sentenced to life in prison. in Chemistry, 1966; Attended Northwestern University Dental School, 1966-1968; Northwestern University, M.B.A. in Accounting and Information Systems, 1971. He pleaded guilty to 15 counts of espionage in July 2001 and was sentenced to prison without the possibility of parole. 29:4-30:1, 2006, pp. Robert Hanssen, in full Robert Philip Hanssen, (born April 18, 1944, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.), agent of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who was one of the Soviet Union 's and Russia's most valuable double agents and the most damaging spy ever to penetrate the FBI. Instead, the 57-year-old defendant will be sentenced to life in prison without parole if he honors his pledge to tell the government all the secrets behind his two-decade career as a Russian spy. During the early 1990s, KGB veterans began to approach western intelligence agencies and provide information. After a few years working as an accountant, he decided to enter law enforcement. Discovery Company. McNamara, Robert. The following year, he married Darla Henrichson, with whom he went on to have two children. Hanssen was finally discovered when a former KGB agent contacted American intelligence agents. Hanssen was born in Chicago, Illinois on April 18, 1944 to a family of German and Polish origins. During his 15 years as an alleged Russian mole, Robert Hanssen had access to many vital . Before her May 7 polygraph test began, Justice Department investigators read Mrs. Hanssen her Miranda rights, her Washington lawyer, Janine Brookner, said. Assistant Eric O'Neill (right) tells in his new book how he helped. Written by on 27 febrero, 2023. Even without knowing who he was or where he worked, Hanssens value to the Russians was clear both by the substantial sums of money paid and the prestigious awards given to their own agents for Hanssens operation. This time, Mrs. Hanssen insisted that they find a cheaper place to live than Scarsdale. Without the current unprecedented level of trust and cooperation between the CIA and FBI, making this case would not have been possible. In his communications with the Russians (some of which were eventually made public after his arrest) he insisted on setting the terms of how he would communicate, pass information, and pick up money. It wasnt money, thats for sure, she said, noting that the family lived in a modest home with three mortgages and drove older-model cars as they scrimped to send their children to private Catholic schools. With two children already out of school, the pension money will help Bonnie Hanssen support two children who are in college and two more still in high school, Brookner said. Bokhan. His assistant, Eric ONeill, was tasked with keeping investigators apprised of Hanssens movements. ONeill now feared he may have pushed Hanssen over the line from suspicion to paranoia. So he leaned back, forcing Hanssen off balance a bit, and apologized for his outburst claiming he just wanted to make sure they roll into the DIA in style, in that big black FBI SUV., This seemed to pacify his boss. Christopher Burgess / Feb 18, 2021. The information he delivered compromised numerous human sources, counterintelligence techniques, investigations, dozens of classified U.S. government documents, and technical operations of extraordinary importance and value. Hanssen was arrested on February 18, 2001, at Foxstone Park near his home in Vienna, Virginia, charged with selling American secrets to Russia for $1.4 million in cash and diamonds over a 22-year period. Hanssen had a reputation for being wildly arrogant and dour. Apparently, even though Hansen was naturally a left-handed person, he was always forced to use his right hand, making his speech problems worse. But money is. Browse 139 robert hanssen stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 Hanssen became much more wary. I never want you in my office again, Hanssen said. Now she says she has chosen to speak out at last because she wants to answer one question she has heard dozens of times: How could Robert P. Hanssen's wife of 34 years not have known he was a spy? On May 10, 2002, Robert Philip Hanssen was sentenced to life in prison without parole. On the drive back, ONeill tried to play it cool even though he was riddled with fear that Hanssens car would not be at the office when they returned. In the 15 months since her husband's arrest as a Russian spy, Bonnie Hanssen has struggled to maintain her public silence in the face of a torrent of disclosures about her life with a man she thought she knew. Hanssen allegedly began spying for the Soviets in 1985 when, in his first letter to the KGB, he volunteered information that compromised several sensitive techniques. Suit David Huband Photographer Catherine Burdon Agent Nece In fact, he had already betrayed one of the United States' most important agents: Gen. Dmitri Polyakov of the G.R.U. He was arrested while in the process of using a dead drop to clandestinely provide numerous classified documents to his Russian handler. In hindsight, serial killers often have traits in common and show signs of their adult inclinations as children. 2000 - The FBI identifies Hanssen from a fingerprint and from a tape recording supplied by a disgruntled Russian intelligence operative. We particularly appreciate the unhesitating leadership and support of Attorney General Ashcroft from the moment he took office. His growing family would need space, and Hanssen's vision of himself required that he provide for them while Bonnie managed the home and raised their children. Each time, her lawyer said Mrs. Hanssen told investigators during the polygraph test, he would deny it and act as if he was hurt that she did not trust him. None of the internal information or personnel security measures in place alerted those charged with internal security to his activities. As alleged, he did so using a variety of sophisticated means of communication, encryption, and dead drops. Under Mr. Hanssen's plea bargain, she will receive the survivor's part of his bureau pension, as well as the right to keep the home. Undated file photo released by the FBI February 20, 2001 shows a package recovered at the 'Lewis' drop site containing $50,000 cash allegedly left by Russians for FBI Agent Robert Philip Hanssen. Heart Of Darkness. (They took Hanssens Ford and the plan to search his car was dropped for the time being.). He used encrypted communications, dead drops, and other clandestine methods to provide information to the KGB and its successor agency, the SVR. and finally hopped out of the car, determined to walk back to the office. January 12, 1976 - Joins the FBI as a special agent. By the time Hanssen and ONeill returned to the office, things seemed normal. A Warner Bros. Hanssen was an FBI agent for 25 years, but he was also a spy for the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation . 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