Under Mr. Hanssen's plea bargain, she. Hanssen gave them the name of a Russian general, Dimitri Polyakov, who had been providing information to the Americans. The ensuing investigation confirmed this suspicion. Since he held key counterintelligence positions, he had authorized access to classified information. None of the internal information or personnel security measures in place alerted those charged with internal security to his activities. (CNN) -- While he acted the patriot and family man, FBI agent Robert Hanssen was selling his country's most classified . Judge Webster is uniquely qualified as a former FBI Director, CIA Director and Director of Central Intelligence to undertake this review. (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 . officer based in Washington. A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. May 10, 2002. Instead, he ultimately became the most damaging spy in. (Photo courtesy of FBI/Newsmakers). This story has been shared 149,018 times. Hanssen, 56, was an FBI agent for 25 . Before her May 7 polygraph test began, Justice Department investigators read Mrs. Hanssen her Miranda rights, her Washington lawyer, Janine Brookner, said. headquarters in a senior counterintelligence post, he told his wife that he had paid off the debt, she told the Justice Department. Timeline. 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. Robert Hanssen is accused of spying for the Soviet Union and is awaiting trial. In the 1990s, after the arrest of Aldrich Ames, the FBI and CIA realized that a mole within the intelligence community was still sharing classified information with the Russians. 91 Followers. Russian operatives left signals for Hanssen at Foxstone Park in Vienna, Va. 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. four in a bed contestant dies. [Your wifes genetic code] demands she stay home and nurture the children. 1991 - Breaks off relations with the KGB. Timeline. By Sherri Day. Hanssen was born in Chicago, Illinois on April 18, 1944 to a family of German and Polish origins. The pension was an important consideration for Hanssen in his plea negotiations, Brookner said. Regrettably, I stand here today both saddened and outraged. Caught off guard, he grabbed his guns but not his PalmPilot. He was enrolled in a "children's club" overseen by the organization when he was seven years old, and it wasn't his first experience with Opus Dei. 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. 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. Hanssen had freely expressed his views on marriage before, once telling ONeill: Your genetic code demands that you make money and provide for the family. Hanssen was incarcerated in a "supermax" federal prison in Colorado which also houses other notorious inmates, including the Unabomber, one of the Boston Marathon bombers, and a number of organized crime figures. Nor can there be any doubt that he was keenly aware of the gravity of his traitorous actions. Robert was born in 1939 in Iowa to Danish immigrants Christian and Edna Hansen. Assistant Eric O'Neill (right) tells in his new book how he helped. Hanssen pled guilty to 15 counts of espionage on July 6, 2001. 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. The lawyer, who watched the polygraph session through a one-way mirror, took notes and discussed the results with the Justice Department's polygraphers, she said. Midwestern Roots Hanssen was born in April 1944, the only child of a Chicago cop. ALEXANDRIA, Virginia (CNN) -- Apologizing before a U.S. federal judge, former FBI agent Robert Hanssen was sentenced Friday to life in prison without parole for spying for the Soviet Union and. Judge Webster and anyone he selects to assist him will have complete access and whatever resources are necessary to complete this task. 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. Therefore, after he was given a 461-year sentence for his crimes, she chose to divorce him. At work, he often spoke of his religious faith and conservative values, traits which helped him avoid any suspicion during the years that he was in secret communication with Russian spies. At the time, he was assigned to counterintelligence in the F.B.I. Robert Hanssen moments after being arrested. Each time, I share the pride and sanctity of those words when new agents swear 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.. The Department of Justice described his espionage as one of the worst in United States History. Expert interviews recount Hanssen's life, how he stayed hidden for over 20 years, and the events leading to his arrest. In May 2002, Hanssen was sentenced to life in prison. ONeill would have no problem achieving that but he did have a major concern. But in her polygraph test, Mrs. Hanssen denied finding any large and unexplained amounts of money in her home, and the polygraph showed that she was not being deceptive, her lawyer said. The complaint alleges that Hanssen conspired to and did commit espionage for Russia and the former Soviet Union. The bureau had not asked her to take a polygraph test after her husband's arrest in February 2001. Hanssen received payments of $1.4 million in cash and diamonds from the information he gave the Soviet Union and Russia. 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. He could sit in his office and shut the door. For years, Hanssen stopped contacting the Russians. She is also challenging some of her husbands credit card bills. Anything else while were at it? ''Most of the people who think ill of me don't know me. But Mr. Hanssen was not tricking the Russians; he was a Russian spy and had been working for the G.R.U., Soviet military intelligence, since 1979. 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. In return, he received large sums of money and other remuneration. "She and the children clearly are innocent victims." Advertisement Robert Hanssen, 57, a former FBI counterintelligence agent, pleaded guilty last week to 15 counts of spying for Moscow. Although his name was not specifically mentioned, evidence in the file pointed to Hanssen, who was put under close surveillance. Clearly she doesnt approve of what hes done, and there was a whole part of this man she doesnt know, but I think with her deep religious convictions, he will, at least in mind and in spirit, continue to be her husband and the father of her children., Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Caregiver accused in Manhattan Beach child sexual abuse case believed to be in Philippines, Prosecution presents closing arguments in Alex Murdaugh murder trial, Intel agencies say theres no sign adversaries were behind Havana syndrome, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, Yet more rain expected to hit California in March. 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. As they took him into custody, Hanssen turned to one and said, What took you so long?. At least two movies have been made about Hanssen. 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. Father Bucciarelli came up with a plan to save Mr. Hanssen from prison, Mrs. Hanssen told investigators during the polygraph test, her lawyer said. For many years, the CIA and FBI have been aggressively engaged in a sustained analytical effort to identify foreign penetrations of the Intelligence Community. He wanted to interview Hanssen for the book but was refused. June 16, 2001 -- Accused FBI spy Robert Hanssen told his wife about his activities as early as 1980, well before prosecutors claim he started passing secrets to Moscow. Friends of Hanssen later came forward and told journalists that Hanssen had exhibited eccentric behavior, which included an obsession with pornography. But from the vantage of the media, "happens to be" applies only to Pollard: Hanssen is fast-becoming known as "the Catholic spy.". The purloined PalmPilot gave the FBI the final piece of the puzzle: Hanssens next meeting with the Russians was scheduled for the following weekend. appreciated. But in 1999, while assigned as an FBI liaison with the State Department, he once again began selling American secrets. 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? Children: Lisa, Greg, Mark, John "Jack," Sue and Jane. Hanssen subsequently was assigned to a variety of national security posts that legitimately provided him access to classified information relating to the former Soviet Union and Russia. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. His Father, Howard Hanssen, was an officer with the Chicago police department and his mother, Vivian Hanssen, was a . "I have opened the door for calumny against my totally innocent wife and children. 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. 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. The complaint alleges that Hanssen, using the code name Ramon, engaged in espionage by providing highly classified information to the KGB and its successor agency, the SVR, using encrypted communications, dead drops, and other clandestine techniques. I never want you in my office again, Hanssen said. But something went wrong and when the two men showed up in the parking garage, the FBI car wasnt there. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. A feature film called Breach was released in 2007. The Robert Hanssen Story" was released in 2002. The Justice Department's inspector general has been examining the F.B.I. In it he betrayed three Soviet officers who were working for the Central Intelligence Agency and the bureau. Take your pick. As a devout Catholic, Bonnie Hanssen feels that he needs time [in prison] to pray for forgiveness and be redeemed in some way, the wifes attorney, Janine Brookner, said in an interview. Robert Hanssen is a former FBI agent notorious for committing treason and selling state secrets to the Soviets (later the Russians). By February 2001, about 300 personnel were working the investigation and monitoring Hanssen. The damage Hanssen did was considerable. His assistant, Eric ONeill, was tasked with keeping investigators apprised of Hanssens movements. Chicago Tribune July 4, 2001. He was arrested while in the process of using a dead drop to clandestinely provide numerous classified documents to his Russian handler. All Rights Reserved. . As O'Neill explained to the audience and often mentions in his book, Hanssen was ahead of his time. Two were executed. 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. On 18 February 2001, Robert Hanssen was arrested and charged with committing espionage on behalf of the intelligence services of the former Soviet Union and its successors. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. This story has been shared 106,031 times. Upon becoming a special agent on January 12, 1976, Hanssen was transferred to the FBI's Gary, Indiana, field office. 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. in Chemistry, 1966; Attended Northwestern University Dental School, 1966-1968;. He was en route to a third spot to pick up his payment of $50,000 when he was stopped by screeching FBI vans and a slew of armed agents. 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. Sunday night the FBI arrested Robert Philip Hanssen who has been charged with committing espionage. 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