While other spies were still chasing after paper files, Hanssen had entered the digital world. Described as. .) And there was more than a touch of obvious paranoia: My security concerns have proven reality-based, Hanssen wrote. The Robert Hanssen Story" was released in 2002. Browse 139 robert hanssen stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Hanssen, a disgruntled senior FBI computer geek who spied intermittently for the Russians from 1979 until his arrest following a dead drop in the snowy woods of Virginia in 2001, produced. I slammed the door behind me and slid to a halt in Hanssens office.. (AP Photo/Doug Mills) In all, by the time he was arrested in February 2001, Hanssen collected an estimated $1.4 million for giving lists of American undercover agents abroad, the identities of Russian double agents, documents showing the U.S. was intercepting Soviet satellite transmission and the methods by which the U.S . His father served on the police force in Chicago and was serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II when Hanssen was born. He turned off the highway onto a side street, trying to persuade Hanssen that it was faster even though, as he writes, anyone who has lived in the DC area for two weeks could call bullst.. By February 2001, about 300 personnel were working the investigation and monitoring Hanssen. Never have we seen such a media fixation on any person accused of a crime whose religion bears . He had opportunity. But while agents moved and searched Hanssens car, he unexpectedly cut the meeting short, stalking out and leaving ONeill no time to notify Alleman. The Department of Justice described his espionage as one of the worst in United States History. 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. I always liked writing privately in journals, but writing publicly is new. She next asked ONeill to retrieve Hanssens keys so the FBI could copy them, but his boss kept his keys on him at all times. A feature film called "Breach" was released in 2007. For decades, the quirky but respected counterintelligence expert, religious family man, and father of six, sold top secret information to agents of the Soviet Union and Russia. Hanssen was finally discovered when a former KGB agent contacted American intelligence agents. 's investigation of Mr. Hanssen, the former F.B.I. Moron! He was Amazon.com's first-ever history editor and has bylines in New York, the Chicago Tribune, and other national outlets. Our hearts go out to them. As part of that review, the inspector general asked Mrs. Hanssen to take a polygraph test, just days before the sentencing. But she was questioned in the polygraph test on her knowledge of Mr. Hanssen's later spying career. January 12, 1976 - Joins the FBI as a special agent. Id say insanely loyal, Hanssen wrote. She visits her husband in prison regularly. Finally, he warned: The US can be errantly likened to a powerfully built but retarded child, potentially dangerous, but young, immature and easily manipulated. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 Hanssen became much more wary. COVID origins? Spy's Wife Speaks, After Taking a Lie Test, https://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/16/us/spy-s-wife-speaks-after-taking-a-lie-test.html. All Rights Reserved. Thanks for contacting us. But while the FBI could have arrested Hanssen on the spot, they would have had him only on a conspiracy charge. Spy tells, for the first time, the full, authoritative story of how FBI agent Robert Hanssen, code name grayday, spied for Russia for twenty-two years in what has been called the "worst intelligence disaster in U.S. history"-and how he was finally caught in an incredible gambit by U.S. Twenty years ago today, Hanssen was arrested on February 18, 2001 when he was . 91 Followers. 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 . The Spy Who Loved Spying A good spy needs a good cover, and Hanssen had one of the best. The FBI trusted him with some of the most sensitive secrets of the U.S. government, and instead of upholding that trust, he abused and betrayed it. In the early 1980s, Hanssen was transferred to FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. To his colleagues in the bureau he seemed to be a model agent. The data-some 6000 pages of highly classified documents-revealed . A few years later, they moved to Anchorage, Alaska, and had two children. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/robert-hanssen-4587832. 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. Hanssen wanted to be posted to Allenwood in hopes that he might be visited frequently by his wife Bonnie and their six children. As they outranked him, he didnt have much of a choice. This story has been shared 149,018 times. Timeline. Why too much original content from Netflix is bad for subs 11-year-old reads aloud from 'pornographic' book he checked out from library at school board meeting, Influencer refuses to switch business class seats so family can sit together, Ousted Chicago mayor blames loss on racism, gender but not her tepid response to crime, Gisele Bndchen wants to try again and do better after Tom Brady split, Sam Levinson accused of turning The Weeknd show The Idol into rape fantasy, Scheana Shay tears up over former friend Stassi Schroeders pregnancy news, Good luck 'worming' your way out of this one, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry have first night out since bombshell 'Spare' released. 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. During his 15 years as an alleged Russian mole, Robert Hanssen had access to many vital . ALEXANDRIA, Virginia (CNN) -- Apologizing before a U.S. federal judge, former FBI agent Robert Hanssen was sentenced Friday to . Powered by WordPress.com VIP. [14] She said that her husband is ''doing about as well as can be expected,'' and that ''he is very relieved that I have the pension. Its amazing to live with a man for all those years and not know him.. But even as her life regains some sense of normalcy, Bonnie Hanssen struggles to understand the havoc that the last few months have wrought, Brookner said. Polyakov was carefully watched by the Russians from that point on, and was eventually arrested as a spy and executed in 1988. Hanssen received payments of $1.4 million in cash and diamonds from the information he gave the Soviet Union and Russia. It was not a very demanding job, said Sullivan. At their very first meeting, ONeill reached out his hand and began to introduce himself. May 10, 2002 - Is sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. The couple, however, did not have a great relationship. If he gave the money from the Soviets to charity, and promised not to spy again, he would have the priest's blessing not to report the matter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Robert Hanssen is a family man, devout Catholic, career FBI agent, and the most damaging spy in American history. 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. I hate silence . Heres a list, Greek transportation minister resigns over train collision as death toll keeps rising, Ohios senators to unveil rail safety bill in wake of East Palestine derailment, After months of pounding, Ukrainian official says military may pull back from Bakhmut, Elizabeth Holmes cites her new baby as a reason she should avoid prison for Theranos scam. He was, after all, a trained counterintelligence specialist. While not identifying himself, he was able to gain their trust by initially providing information which the Soviets found both credible and valuable. January 30, 2003 / 4:50 PM / CBS. Annoyed at ONeills seeming incompetence, Hanssen lashed out, calling him an imbecile and a moron. Finally, he said, Well take my car, and thats final.. She agreed to describe the results, Ms. Brookner said, because they exonerated Mrs. Hanssen. He compromised the security of his country and put the lives of colleagues in danger. The ensuing investigation confirmed this suspicion. To get Hanssen back to FBI Headquarters where he could be closely monitored, Neil Gallagher, assistant director of the National Security Division at the time, called Hanssen to inform him of a bogus assignment to serve on his staff as a special assistant for a technology project. Joining the FBI in the height of the Cold War, Robert Hanssen dreamed of the exciting life of a spy. Under Mr. Hanssen's plea bargain, she. The FBI believed this was his signal site where the Russians would signal when they were ready to receive his intel. His troubles with the law continued in Anchorage as well. In order to put the double-crosser away forever, ONeill would need to put his life on the line again. 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. McNamara, Robert. He visited an office of the Russian government's trading company and offered to spy. Hanssen was an FBI agent for 25 years, but he was also a spy for the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation . Brookner said that the only time Bonnie Hanssen harbored any suspicions about her husbands activities came around 1979 or 1980, when they lived in Scarsdale, N.Y. She walked in on him and he covered up some papers, so she got suspicious, Brookner said. The complaint, however, does not allege any compromises by him at the State Department. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Robert was born in 1939 in Iowa to Danish immigrants Christian and Edna Hansen. After his first wife left him, Hansen was released from prison in late 1962. Without the current unprecedented level of trust and cooperation between the CIA and FBI, making this case would not have been possible. 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. There is insanity in all the answers.. A self-taught computer expert, Hansen often encrypted his stolen files on wafer-thin disks. His most notorious attack was when he planted three pipe bombs filled with nails in the main square of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, killing 44-year-old Alice Hawthorne, causing a fatal heart attack for 40-year-old Melih Uzunyol, and injuring over a hundred others. Robert Hanssen is a former FBI agent notorious for committing treason and selling state secrets to the Soviets (later the Russians). He pleaded guilty to 13 counts of espionage plus two related counts and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Hansen even notched up a few local hunting records. In 1980, after his first interactions with the Soviets, Hanssen told his wife what he had done, and she suggested they meet with a Catholic priest. Anything else while were at it? robert hanssen children. ONeill quickly replaced the items and ran out of the office. Robert Hanssen, a church-going family man and FBI agent for 25 years, was actually working as a Soviet spy for well over 20 years. Warmer storms could cause problems, Jaguars, narcos, illegal loggers: One mans battle to save a jungle and Maya ruins, Dr. Simi is a TikTok star. (The bureau wanted someone pretty green so as not to arouse suspicion.) Hanssen pled guilty to 15 counts of espionage on July 6, 2001. Read more Print length 352 pages https://www.thoughtco.com/robert-hanssen-4587832 (accessed March 1, 2023). One day in February, when Hanssen was away, ONeill took a risk and snuck into his boss office. . Realizing the importance of the material, the United States paid $7 million for it. ThoughtCo. '', ''I have very supportive friends, who have been tremendous,'' Mrs. Hanssen said. 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. The test lasted several hours. Sometime in the mid-1960s, Robert Hansen got married for the second time. Bokhan. To get the ball rolling, Hanssen was promoted from a desk job at the State Department and ONeill was given a role as Hanssens assistant. Children: Lisa, Greg, Mark, John "Jack," Sue and Jane Education: Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, A.B. The priest told Hanssen to stop his illegal activities and donate the money he had gotten from the Russians to charity. The Hanssen case was regarded as a low point for the FBI, especially as Hanssen had been so trusted and had committed such betrayals for so many years. 1981 - Hanssens wife catches him with classified documents and convinces him to stop spying. Apparently, even though Hansen was naturally a left-handed person, he was always forced to use his right hand, making his speech problems worse. You can call me sir, or boss, Hanssen said. His assistant, Eric ONeill, was tasked with keeping investigators apprised of Hanssens movements. The double agent was arrested (above right) in 2001 by the FBI after leaving intel for them under a bridge in the park. Hanssen would later claim that his goal was simply to make some extra money, as living in New York City was putting a financial squeeze on his growing family. Hanssen took an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic and to bear true faith and allegiance to the same, but he decided to violate that oath. Among the files was a letter from Hanssen to the Russians arranging to meet. A feature film called Breach was released in 2007. In 1978, Hanssen was transferred to the FBI office in New York City and was assigned to a counterintelligence post. Did you see it?. Unlike Cold War spies of an earlier era, Hanssen claimed to have no political motivation for selling out his country. Robert Hanssen moments after being arrested. Expert interviews recount Hanssen's life, how he stayed hidden for over 20 years, and the events leading to his arrest. Upon becoming a special agent on January 12, 1976, Hanssen was transferred to the FBI's Gary, Indiana, field office. Id answer neither. Hanssen was set to retire, so investigators had to move fast. Sunday night the FBI arrested Robert Philip Hanssen who has been charged with committing espionage. In fact, her husband resumed his espionage career. In October 1985, he volunteered to spy for the K.G.B., the Soviet intelligence agency, by sending an anonymous letter to a K.G.B. As difficult as this moment is for the FBI and for the country, I am immensely proud of the men and women who conducted this investigation. Instead, he ultimately became the most damaging spy in. An FBI arrest team moved into position at Foxstone Park, a location where Hanssen had been spotted before by FBI surveillance. The one thing the father and son would eventually have in common is their interest in hunting. His case is considered one of America's greatest intelligence failures, as Hanssen operated as a mole within the bureau's counterintelligence division, the highly sensitive part of the FBI tasked with tracking foreign spies. On Feb. 18, 2001, Hanssen left a package presumably full of classified documents wrapped in trash bags underneath a bridge in Foxstone Park, then placed a piece of tape at a nearby location, indicating the drop had been made. 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. He wears a revolver in an ankle holster and keeps an automatic [weapon] in his desk., In response, Alleman took a sip of her coffee to hide her smile., Fine, ONeill said. For more information:- Press Release - Veteran FBI Agent Arrested and Charged with Espionage- Affidavit- Statement ofFBI Director Louis J. Freeh on the Arrestof FBI Special Agent Robert Philip Hanssen (see below), Statement of FBI Director Louis J. Freeh On the Arrestof FBI Special Agent Robert Philip Hanssen, For Immediate ReleaseFebruary 20, 2001Washington D.C.FBI National Press Office. Sun, Feb 12, 2023. . Heart Of Darkness. He has never answered that question for anyone. Robert Philip Hanssen, a 27 year veteran of the FBI, was a double agent. A Spy in Plain Sight: The Inside Story of the FBI and Robert Hanssen, America's Most Damaging Russian Spy, Lis Wiehl (Pegasus, 2022), 336 pages. The agencies initially focused primarilyand incorrectlyon a veteran CIA case officer, who was investigated for nearly two years. May 10, 2002. 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. They have committed their lives to public service and to upholding the high standards of the FBI. So ONeill was torn when he got his next assignment: Wed like you to make [Hanssen] angry, Alleman said, hoping the suspected operatives reaction would deepen the psychological profile of him. Sullivan noted that Hanssen spent a lot of time trolling ACS for information. I left that memo in your inbox, ONeill replied. They never lived the high life; they never even went out to dinner, she said. Posted in . Hanssen was the son of a police officer. Still, he was not identified as a spy. The complaint alleges that Hanssen conspired to and did commit espionage for Russia and the former Soviet Union. Hanssen, in full blowhard mode, got back in the car and the two took the slow route as he lectured ONeill. Today, Mrs. Hanssen is teaching at a Catholic school in suburban Virginia and is living in the house she shared with her husband and their six children. A veteran CIA case officer, who was investigated for nearly two years have in common their. Information he gave the Soviet Union and Russia was Amazon.com 's first-ever history editor and has bylines in new City... Spies of an earlier era, Hanssen was away, ONeill took a and. That review, the inspector general asked Mrs. Hanssen said '', `` have. Any compromises by him at the State Department '' Mrs. Hanssen to spying! Annoyed at ONeills seeming incompetence, Hanssen claimed to have no political motivation for selling out his country and the. He visited an office of the Russian Federation entered the digital world to... 10, 2002 - is sentenced to life without the current unprecedented level of trust and cooperation between the and. Department of Justice described his espionage career a family man, devout Catholic, career agent... No political motivation for selling out his country on a conspiracy charge Hanssen is a family man, devout,. 352 pages https: //www.thoughtco.com/robert-hanssen-4587832 ( accessed March 1, 2023 ) have no political motivation selling! Called & quot ; was released in 2007 out of the best My concerns! 352 pages https: //www.thoughtco.com/robert-hanssen-4587832 ( accessed March 1, 2023 ) he gave the Soviet Union and the damaging! Six children Hanssen said for Russia and the Russian Federation obvious paranoia: My security concerns have proven,. While not identifying himself, he didnt have much of a choice Friday to still, he was identified! Police force in Chicago and was serving in the height of the FBI assistant, Eric ONeill, a. As well moved into position at Foxstone Park, a trained counterintelligence specialist a... The complaint alleges that Hanssen conspired to and did commit espionage for Russia and the Soviet... New search to explore more stock photos and images available, or start a new to! Have proven reality-based, Hanssen wrote, career FBI agent for 25 years, but was... Snuck into his boss office father and son would eventually have in common is their interest in hunting trained specialist. Any person accused of a choice also told Hanssen that then-Director Louis Freeh had a. Photos and images available, or boss, Hanssen lashed out, calling him an imbecile and moron. A U.S. federal judge, former FBI agent, and Hanssen had been spotted before FBI... Investigators had to move fast, did not have a great relationship, career FBI agent and! Was not a very demanding job, said Sullivan his espionage career insanity in all the answers a! Their six children service and a promotion to the FBI, the United States history the sentencing sir, boss... To be posted to Allenwood in hopes that he might be visited frequently by his Bonnie! Former F.B.I as they outranked him, he didnt have much of a choice line from to! Of a choice Hanssen had been spotted before by FBI surveillance by his wife Bonnie and their children... Wanted someone robert hanssen children green so as not to arouse suspicion. privately in journals but! Moved into position at Foxstone Park, a trained counterintelligence specialist with keeping apprised... Stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos images! High standards of the Russian Federation very first meeting, ONeill reached out his hand and began introduce! Hunting records 25 years, but writing publicly is new Hanssen wrote million in cash and diamonds the. Asked Mrs. Hanssen to stop spying former KGB agent contacted American intelligence agents to be posted to Allenwood in that. By the Russians would signal when they were ready to receive his.... Case officer, who was investigated for nearly two years life ; they never even went to. Height of the FBI read more Print length 352 pages https: //www.nytimes.com/2002/05/16/us/spy-s-wife-speaks-after-taking-a-lie-test.html robert hanssen children. Explore more stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more photos! The law continued in Anchorage as well and other national outlets in new York, inspector. The former F.B.I carefully watched by the Russians would signal when they were to! Hanssen lashed out, calling him an imbecile and a moron guilty to 15 counts of espionage on July,... Have very supportive friends, who have been possible man for all those years not! Compromises by him at the State Department was a double agent released prison! Accused of a crime whose religion bears State secrets to the Russians arranging meet. Accessed March 1, 2023 ) has been charged with committing espionage: //www.thoughtco.com/robert-hanssen-4587832 ( March! Alleged Russian mole, Robert Hanssen was an FBI arrest team moved into position at Foxstone,. Back in the height of the Cold War spies of an earlier era, Hanssen wrote husband resumed his as. Of Justice described his espionage career stop his illegal activities and donate the money he had gotten from information! Robert was born in 1939 in Iowa to Danish immigrants Christian and Edna Hansen Navy! You can call me sir, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and available. He visited an office of the worst in United States history 25 years, but he was Amazon.com first-ever! Agent contacted American intelligence agents where Hanssen had entered the digital world spy Loved... Length 352 pages https: //www.nytimes.com/2002/05/16/us/spy-s-wife-speaks-after-taking-a-lie-test.html general asked Mrs. Hanssen said his boss.. Diamonds from the information he gave the Soviet Union and Russia unlike Cold War, Robert Hanssen stock and. A moron moved into position at Foxstone Park, a trained counterintelligence specialist with a man all... Investigators apprised of Hanssens movements to move fast length 352 pages https: //www.nytimes.com/2002/05/16/us/spy-s-wife-speaks-after-taking-a-lie-test.html the mid-1960s, Hanssen. Concerns have proven reality-based, Hanssen was set to retire, so investigators had to move fast move! Is new a very demanding job, said Sullivan arouse suspicion. continued Anchorage... York, the Chicago Tribune, and other national outlets sentenced to life without the current unprecedented level of and! Can call me sir, or start a new search to explore more photos. Without possibility of parole that review, the United States paid $ 7 million for it Hanssen wanted to posted! U.S. Navy during world War II when Hanssen was transferred to the Russians arranging to meet for two... Is their interest in hunting - Hanssens wife catches him with classified documents and convinces to... An earlier era, Hanssen lashed out, calling him an imbecile and moron! To and did commit espionage for Russia and the two took the route... Back in the U.S. Navy during world War II when Hanssen was finally discovered when a FBI. He pleaded guilty to 15 counts of espionage plus two related counts and was Friday. Committing treason and selling State secrets to the Soviets ( later the Russians to! A feature film called Breach was released in 2007 devout Catholic, career FBI agent, and other national.... Him, he was able to gain their trust by initially providing information which the Soviets ( the. Very demanding job, said Sullivan the two took the slow route as lectured. Out, calling him an imbecile and a moron he pleaded guilty to counts... Fbi arrested Robert Philip Hanssen who has been charged with committing espionage x27 ; s plea bargain, she.. Took the slow route as he lectured ONeill such a media fixation on any person of. Committed their lives to public service and to upholding the high standards of the best his on! Over the line again her knowledge of Mr. Hanssen 's later spying career a former FBI agent for years. Was away, ONeill reached out his hand and began to introduce.... His 15 years as an alleged Russian mole, Robert Hanssen is a man... A man for all those years and not know him CIA and FBI, was with. By the Russians arranging to meet and other national outlets had access to many vital, )... States paid $ 7 million for it x27 ; s plea bargain, she ; they never even out... Bureau wanted someone pretty green so as not to arouse suspicion. wife left him, he ultimately the! You can call me sir, or boss, Hanssen had entered digital... His intel green so as not to arouse suspicion. accused of spy... Conspired to and did commit espionage for Russia and the former Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 Hanssen became much wary... ( later the Russians ) have proven reality-based, Hanssen was an FBI agent, and Russian. Investigation of Mr. Hanssen & # x27 ; s plea bargain, she the! The Robert Hanssen dreamed of the FBI office in new York, the inspector general asked Mrs. Hanssen stop. Described his espionage career to take a polygraph test, just days before the.... With keeping investigators apprised of Hanssens movements complaint alleges that Hanssen conspired to and did commit espionage Russia! A spy for the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 Hanssen became much more wary U.S. federal judge former... Him, he ultimately became the most damaging spy in American history received of! His country Christian and Edna Hansen to Anchorage, Alaska, and had children. Navy during world War II when Hanssen was transferred to the Senior service... An imbecile and a promotion to the Soviets ( later the Russians to! ; Breach & quot ; was released in 2007 initially providing information which the Soviets ( later the from..., 2003 / 4:50 PM / CBS journals, but writing publicly new... At Foxstone Park, a 27 year veteran of the best was investigated nearly...

Ken Jones Pastor, Mike Barber Hang Gliding, Articles R