(2020, August 28). The underling had 15 minutes to arrange for a car from the FBI who, this time, didnt blow its shot. officer based in Washington. 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. By the time Hanssen and ONeill returned to the office, things seemed normal. After being released, he met his second wife, Darla Henrichsen, and the pair got married in 1963. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. "Robert Hanssen, FBI Agent Who Became a Soviet Mole." Nor can there be any doubt that he was keenly aware of the gravity of his traitorous actions. While other spies were still chasing after paper files, Hanssen had entered the digital world. 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. Over the next few years, she said, she questioned him about whether he was working with the Russians once more. Robert P. Bucciarelli, a priest affiliated with Opus Dei, a conservative Catholic organization the Hanssens had joined several years earlier. He began providing the Soviets with highly valuable material. Pressed to explain what he was doing, she said, he acknowledged that he was dealing with the Russians. The Ellis drop site, under a footbridge over Wolftrap Creek at Foxstone Park near Vienna, Va. U.S. Attorney Randy Bellows, right, is depicted in an artists sketch as he addresses the court during the sentencing of convicted spy Robert Hanssen, center, seen with his attorney Plato Cacheris, left, at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia. 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. Just then the door buzzed, indicating Hanssens return. 2000 - The FBI identifies Hanssen from a fingerprint and from a tape recording supplied by a disgruntled Russian intelligence operative. 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.) Literally, Hanssens colleagues and coworkers at the FBI conducted this investigation and did so quietly, securely and without hesitation. Robert Philip Hanssen had drifted through several false starts in life before he settled in at the FBI. McNamara, Robert. She did not want her husband to be tempted to work for the Russians again, she told the Justice Department. Unlike Cold War spies of an earlier era, Hanssen claimed to have no political motivation for selling out his country. Hanssen was an FBI agent for 25 years, but he was also a spy for the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation . Troubled by the incident, Bonnie Hanssen made her husband speak with a Catholic priest, who directed him to contribute money to Mother Teresa, the Catholic nun who ran a Calcutta charitable organization, as a form of penance, Brookner said. ThoughtCo. During his sessions with investigators, Hanssen claimed his motivation had always been financial. The parents of six children, Bob and Bonnie "were the picture of a perfect family. Hanssen reportedly lavished cash and gifts on a Washington stripper whom he befriended. But Hanssen couldn't afford the lifestyle that he thought he deserved. 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.. Robert J. McNamara is a history expert and former magazine journalist. I scooped the devices into my arms and sprinted for the stairway, writes ONeill, who refers to this as his one true James Bond moment. and finally hopped out of the car, determined to walk back to the office. But, she said, she was determined to hold her husband to the deal. But from the vantage of the media, "happens to be" applies only to Pollard: Hanssen is fast-becoming known as "the Catholic spy.". 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. In this assignment, however, Hanssen did continue to have access to sensitive FBI information as he remained assigned to the FBIs National Security Division and routinely dealt with sensitive and classified matters. In short, the trusted insider betrayed his trust without detection. 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. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Gray Day: My Undercover Mission to Expose Americas First Cyber Spy, My boss records all the conversations in our office, China's secret police are actively hunting people on US soil, Cuomo mocks Biden over China spy balloon debacle, Biden, DOJ scrapping FBI China initiative led to more spying: security experts. He betrayed his children. He could sit in his office and shut the door. . As a result of these assignments within the FBI, Hanssen gained access to some of the most sensitive and highly classified information in the United States Government. The Robert Hanssen Story" was released in 2002. Since becoming Director over seven years ago, I have administered the FBI oath to each graduating class of Special Agents at the FBI Academy. In hindsight, serial killers often have traits in common and show signs of their adult inclinations as children. robert hanssen children. The Spy Who Loved Spying A good spy needs a good cover, and Hanssen had one of the best. Mrs. Hanssen insists she never knew about her husband's second, far longer and more damaging stint as a spy and never saw anything that made her suspect that he had taken up with the Russians again. What we wanted to do was get enough evidence to convict him, and the ultimate aim was to catch him in the act, said Debra Evans Smith, a former deputy assistant director of the Counterintelligence Division. He wanted to interview Hanssen for the book but was refused. 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. As a young man, he seemed to be seeking a way out of the blue-collar life represented by his boyhood neighborhood. Out of all the lingering scandals in Washington,. May 10, 2002 Posted: 11:59 AM EDT (1559 GMT) Former FBI agent Robert Hanssen. His troubles with the law continued in Anchorage as well. 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. However, even though Hansen would go to church with his wife, nothing really changed. He also expressed his trademark annoyance. Why are we still having these debates? Lesley Stahl has learned that Robert Hanssen, the FBI agent who betrayed his country, also betrayed his church and his wife. The pension was an important consideration for Hanssen in his plea negotiations, Brookner said. In 1978, he and his growing family of three children (and eventually six) relocated to New York City when the FBI transferred him to its field office there. Darla was an extremely religious woman, and she felt that faith could be his way out. One might propose that I am either insanely brave or quite insane. Robert P. Hanssen, the former F.B.I. 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. Expert interviews recount Hanssen's life, how he stayed hidden for over 20 years, and the events leading to his arrest. One day, she said, she found her husband scurrying to cover up some papers in the basement of their home in Scarsdale, N.Y. Its amazing to live with a man for all those years and not know him.. This is particularly timely as we move to the next generation of automation to support the FBIs information infrastructure. 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. 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.. During the early 1990s, KGB veterans began to approach western intelligence agencies and provide information. ''Most of the people who think ill of me don't know me. His job was to help assemble a database of foreign officials posted in New York who, while posing as diplomats, were actually intelligence officers spying on the United States. It is also one which can turn ingenious quickly, like an idiot savant, once convinced of a goal.. Alleman tasked him with purloining Hanssens PalmPilot. Among the files was a letter from Hanssen to the Russians arranging to meet. The full extent of the damage done is yet unknown because no accurate damage assessment could be conducted without jeopardizing the investigation. . 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. 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. By Sherri Day. They have committed their lives to public service and to upholding the high standards of the FBI. Full Name: Robert Phillip Hanssen Known For: Worked as a mole for Russian spy agencies while serving as an FBI counterintelligence agent. She sold their house and bakery in Alaska and shifted closer to her family in Arkansas after the children were getting bullied massively at their school. Director Tenet and I have briefed the intelligence committees of Congress because of the clear national security implications. Robert Phillip Hanssen was born in Chicago, Illinois, on April 18, 1944. 40K views 2 years ago On this day February 18, 2001, Robert Hanssen was arrested and charged with committing espionage on behalf of the intelligence services of the former Soviet Union. 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. Press Release - Veteran FBI Agent Arrested and Charged with Espionage, FBI.gov is an official site of the U.S. Department of Justice. 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. Mrs. Hanssen said she demanded that he repay the $30,000. Hanssen would now be ONeills boss. We dont know at this point what happened to that money, she said. He betrayed his God. He married Bernadette Wauck in 1968 and, influenced by his devout Catholic wife, he converted to Catholicism. But the government could not prove he had lied, and wishing to avoid a public trial, the government chose not to void his plea agreement. Robert was described as a loner and a quiet person, and he had a strained relationship as well with his strict and dominating father. Hansen even followed in his fathers footsteps and opened up his own bakery. Thanks for contacting us. 1979 - Begins spying for the Soviet Union. Further, the complaint alleges that Hanssen, using his training and experience to protect himself from discovery by the FBI, never met face-to-face with his Russian handlers, never revealed to them his true identity or where he worked, constantly checked FBI records for signs he and the drop sites he was using were being investigated, refused any foreign travel to meet with the Russians, and even declined to accept any trade craft. Hanssen never displayed outward signs that he was receiving large amounts of unexplained cash. Hanssens espionage activities began in 1985. Updated agent sentenced to life in prison on Friday after he pleaded guilty to spying for Moscow off and on for more than 20 years. I dont think there was anybody more shocked by all this, Brookner said. Source: Netflix Article continues below advertisement Home; Features; Services; About; Contact; Login; Get Free Demo Instead, he ultimately became the most damaging spy in Bureau history. Robert Philip Hansen thought he was smarter than the system. 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. A former FBI Supervisory Special Agen. Realizing the importance of the material, the United States paid $7 million for it. Discovery Company. Special Agent Don Sullivan, a squad supervisor at the FBIs Washington Field Office at the time, volunteered to replace Hanssen. His father was a supernumerary part of the 75% while his uncle was a numerary, part of the 25% that swore to a life of poverty and chastity. 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. That fall, Mr. Hanssen was transferred back to New York as a supervisor in charge of a counterintelligence squad. 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. 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. The plea bargain spared Hanssen the death penalty. 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. 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. Abcarian: Mask mandates? The priest told Hanssen to stop his illegal activities and donate the money he had gotten from the Russians to charity. They bought a modest, three-bedroom home in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., north of New York City. There is insanity in all the answers.. May 10, 2002 - Is sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. headquarters in a senior counterintelligence post, he told his wife that he had paid off the debt, she told the Justice Department. Breaking her five-month silence, the wife of FBI spy Robert Philip Hanssen said Thursday that she deeply regrets the damage her husband has caused the United States and believes it is appropriate that he spend the rest of his life in prison. Heres a look at the life of convicted spy Robert Hanssen. In 1978, Hanssen was transferred to the FBI office in New York City and was assigned to a counterintelligence post. 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. This would be the first of many heart-stopping requests from Alleman. 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.. I left that memo in your inbox, ONeill replied. Playing to Hanssens ego, the underling, a newlywed, said he needed relationship advice about his wife wanting to wait to have children. Guilty plea would mean life term, money for family By Naftali Bendavid . Posted in . 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. 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. Robert Hanssen is a former FBI agent notorious for committing treason and selling state secrets to the Soviets (later the Russians). The answer shocked ONeill, then 26. Our hearts go out to them. Many of the questions centered on assertions made by Mrs. Hanssen's brother, Mark Wauck, an F.B.I. None of the internal information or personnel security measures in place alerted those charged with internal security to his activities. Timeline. Anyone can read what you share. Its the one scrap of power hes kept for himself.. She would then use this money to run her house and support her children. At the time, he was assigned to counterintelligence in the F.B.I. During his second round of dealing with Russian agents, Hanssen was much more cautious. Were you in my office? Hanssen leaned over my desk, his face inches from mine. The agencies initially focused primarilyand incorrectlyon a veteran CIA case officer, who was investigated for nearly two years. (Photo courtesy of FBI/Newsmakers). Their actions represent counterintelligence at its very best and under the most difficult and sensitive of circumstances. 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. https://www.thoughtco.com/robert-hanssen-4587832 (accessed March 1, 2023). This story has been shared 106,031 times. ''I just wish somebody would say that my husband never told me he was spying,'' Mrs. Hanssen said in frustration in a telephone interview this week. (The bureau wanted someone pretty green so as not to arouse suspicion.) Heart Of Darkness. 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 actions alleged date back as far as 1985 and, with the possible exception of several years in the 1990s, continued until his arrest on Sunday. February 18 marks the 20th anniversary of the arrest of Robert Hanssen, one of the most damaging spies in U.S. history. Why is it so important to take [that] car? Hanssen demanded to know. As an agency, we lived up to our responsibility, regardless of how painful it might be. 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. Robert hanssen: the fox guarding the henhouse. I hate silence . Christian owned a bakery and would make his son work for long hours as a kid. That effort is complemented by substantial FBI proactive investigation of foreign service intelligence officers here and by the critical work done by the CIA. I always liked writing privately in journals, but writing publicly is new. 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. Alleman explained to ONeill that the smoking gun would be an actual information drop for the Russians. For years, Hanssen stopped contacting the Russians. In the letter, Hanssen revealed that he had dreamed of being a spy against his country since the age of 14, after reading a book about Kim Philby the British intelligence officer who was also a Russian double agent. FBI and CIA personnel who debriefed Hanssen about his 21 years as a spy for Moscow found him a prickly, uncooperative character and won't be sorry to see him pulling hard time in a distant lock-up. 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. He worked as a policeman in Chicago for three years and was placed on an elite unit that investigated corruption. He betrayed his country. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much ''He never said he was spying. But Brookner said Hanssens family was never the beneficiary of any spy money and that Bonnie Hanssen has no idea what happened to the proceeds from his spying, including $800,000 that authorities say the Russians deposited for him in a Moscow bank. Twenty years ago today, Hanssen was arrested on February 18, 2001 when he was . Before getting caught in 2001 and sentenced to life in prison, he sold thousands of pages of sensitive material to the Soviet Union and ruined massive U.S. intelligence plans. 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. Hanssen, 56, was an FBI agent for 25 . Through our cooperative efforts, the FBI and CIA were able to learn the true identity of Ramon and the FBI was able to conduct a solid investigation. To be very clear on this issue, at no time was he authorized to communicate information to agents of the KGB/SVR. But money is tight, she said, and the former housewife has taken a teaching job at her daughters school in Virginia. Director Jenny Chung Writer Jenny Chung Stars Bob Aguilar Jim Babel Jeff Barber 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.. But Thursday, Bonnie Hanssen issued a statement through her attorney revealing the torment that the case has caused. 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. His tale was also made into the 2007 movie Breach.. 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. You can call me sir, or boss, Hanssen said. .) And there was more than a touch of obvious paranoia: My security concerns have proven reality-based, Hanssen wrote. After being released, he met his second wife, Darla Henrichsen, and the pair got married in 1963. As Hanssen walked back to his car, the arrest team rushed up and took him into custody. She agreed to describe the results, Ms. Brookner said, because they exonerated Mrs. Hanssen. If the device wasnt in Hanssens hand or on the desk in front of him, it was always in his left back pocket. Sun, Feb 12, 2023. . December 2000 - The FBI begins surveillance of Hanssen. The complaint, however, does not allege any compromises by him at the State Department. Father Bucciarelli came up with a plan to save Mr. Hanssen from prison, Mrs. Hanssen told investigators during the polygraph test, her lawyer said. After his first wife left him, Hansen was released from prison in late 1962. 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. I have hurt so many deeply." Hanssen, who began working with Soviet military intelligence in 1979, was. Their goal was to catch Hanssen red handed in espionage. Judge Webster and anyone he selects to assist him will have complete access and whatever resources are necessary to complete this task. Bonnie Hanssens first public statements on the case reveal both her anxiety over her husbands actions and her sense of relief over the fact that she and her six children will retain an estimated $39,000 a year from his government pension. Intelligence officials began debriefing Hanssen this week, defense attorney Preston Burton said Thursday. Is sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. McNamara, Robert. In return, he received large sums of money and other remuneration. 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. 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. At some point in 1979, Hanssen made a decision to sell American secrets to the Soviets. The Department of Justice described his espionage as one of the worst in United States History. 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. According to the University of the Free State's "A Psychobiography of Robert Hansen: The 'Butcher Baker,'" Hansen was no different. 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. An official website of the United States government. Yet Brookner said Bonnie Hanssen has no intention of divorcing her husband. After graduating from a public high school, Hanssen attended Knox College in Illinois, studying chemistry and Russian. 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To stop his illegal activities and donate the money he had paid off the,...