He became an agent in 1976, and spent two years working in the Indianapolis, Indiana, field office. [30], In 1990, Hanssen's brother-in-law, Mark Wauck, who was also an FBI employee, recommended to the FBI that Hanssen be investigated for espionage because his sister, Hanssen's wife, told him that her sister, Jeanne Beglis, had found a pile of cash on a dresser in the Hanssens' house. Under Mr. Hanssen's plea bargain, she. Hanssen later joined the Catholic organization Opus Dei[13] with like-minded individuals. To bring him back to FBI headquarters, where he could be closely monitored and kept away from sensitive data, they promoted him in December 2000. It would seem as though Hansen's children want their privacy respected, and who could blame them? Polyakov was carefully watched by the Russians from that point on, and was eventually arrested as a spy and executed in 1988. The investigation was not fruitful and the FBI was unable to charge Bloch on any account. The couple married in 1968, and Hanssen converted from Lutheranism to his wife's Catholicism. 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. He is a public speaker and security The CIA and FBI searched his house, tapped his telephone, and surveilled him, following him and his family everywhere. In 1962 he completed his graduation from William Howard Taft High School. He urged fellow Catholics in the FBI to attend Mass more often and denounced the Russians as "godless", even though he had been spying for them. [21][29] On two occasions, Hanssen gave the Soviets a complete list of American double agents. [46][47][48], The FBI surveilled Hanssen and soon discovered he was again in contact with the Russians. We dont know at this point what happened to that money, she said. He then enrolled at the Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, to study dentistry but after three years shifted to business studies. [4] He was spying at the same time as Aldrich Ames in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). McNamara, Robert. The pension was an important consideration for Hanssen in his plea negotiations, Brookner said. Hanssen refused. He relayed secret information to Russia regarding US intelligence and counterintelligence operations. 1981 - Hanssens wife catches him with classified documents and convinces him to stop spying. A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. 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. McNamara, Robert. Unlike Cold War spies of an earlier era, Hanssen claimed to have no political motivation for selling out his country. Wikimedia Commons Robert Hanssen made over $1 million spying for the Soviets until he was caught in 2001. 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. After being released, he met his second wife, Darla Henrichsen, and the pair got married in 1963. [49][50][51], During his final days with the FBI, Hanssen began to suspect something was wrong. At least three Russian agents he identified had been executed, and it was suspected that he compromised dozens of intelligence operations. Bonnie had previously told her brother that Hanssen once talked about retiring in Poland, then part of the Eastern Bloc. On January 12 that year he was posted in FBIs field office in Gary, Indiana, and in 1978 he was again transferred to its field office in New York. He was finally arrested in early 2001 from Foxstone Park for trading classified information of the US to the Soviet Union and later to the Russian Federation. Darla fled the state to Arkansas, where she had family. For instance, a piece of adhesive tape placed on a sign in a park in Virginia would indicate that a package had been placed in a "dead drop" location, which was usually under a small footbridge in the park. Intelligence officials began debriefing Hanssen this week, defense attorney Preston Burton said Thursday. [22] Yuzhin had returned to Moscow in 1982 and had been subject to an intensive investigation by the KGB there due to having lost a concealed camera in the Soviet consulate in San Francisco, but he was not arrested until being exposed by Ames and Hanssen. 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. When in 1989 a State Department official, Felix Bloch came under the scrutiny of the FBI, Hanssen soon informed the KGB, who immediately snapped all ties with Bloch. The criminal conduct alleged represents the most traitorous actions imaginable against a country governed by the Rule of Law. Did you encounter any technical issues? Hanssen wanted to be posted to Allenwood in hopes that he might be visited frequently by his wife Bonnie and their six children. He managed to avoid a death penalty by negotiating a plea deal where he agreed to cooperate with government agents. The FBI waited two more days to see if any of Hanssen's SVR handlers would show up at Foxstone Park. [26], Later that year, Hanssen gave extensive information about American planning for measurement and signature intelligence (MASINT), a general term for intelligence collected by a variety of electronic means, such as radar, spy satellites, and signal intercepts. Hansen was first married in his native Iowa when he was in his early 20s (via The Cinemaholic). Their actions represent counterintelligence at its very best and under the most difficult and sensitive of circumstances. Robert J. McNamara is a history expert and former magazine journalist. She is also challenging some of her husbands credit card bills. The complaint alleges that Hanssen conspired to and did commit espionage for Russia and the former Soviet Union. [16] CIA and FBI officials, including Deputy Director William Sullivan, believed that, at some point, Polyakov was made into a triple agent by the Soviets, who thereby deceived the West with misinformation. Pitts was the second FBI agent to mention Hanssen by name as a possible mole, but superiors were still unconvinced, and no action was taken. After working in the FBI division that developed secret listening devices, Hanssen was again placed in a position to track Russian agents operating in the United States. 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.. [53] Upon being arrested, Hanssen asked, "What took you so long?" When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 Hanssen became much more wary. Darla, who had a masters degree in Education, would earn her own income by teaching learning disabled kids. May 31, 2001 - Pleads not guilty to all charges. But money is. The prolonged abuse that he endured not only made his childhood challenging, but also chased him throughout his life. Hanssen ensured that he did not reveal himself with his study, but in addition, he gave the entire studyincluding the list of all Soviets who had contacted the FBI about FBI molesto the KGB in 1988. It was not a very demanding job, said Sullivan. Judge Webster is uniquely qualified as a former FBI Director, CIA Director and Director of Central Intelligence to undertake this review. John Cusack plays the villain in the movie, and if youre curious to know, let me tell you that the story is inspired by the serial killer Robert Hansen. [4], In 1989, Hanssen compromised the FBI investigation of Felix Bloch, a Department of State official who had become suspected of espionage. After Ames's arrest in 1994, some of these intelligence breaches remained unsolved. 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. Later, he hid a video camera in the bedroom connected via a closed-circuit television line so that Hoschouer could observe the Hanssens from his guest bedroom. May 16, 2001 - Is indicted on 21 counts of spying for the Soviet Union/Russia and passing top secret material to the Soviet Union/Russia. He placed a white piece of tape on a park sign, which was a signal to his Russian contacts that there was information at the dead drop site. When told that he would have to take a lie detector test to join, Hanssen changed his mind. Please be aware how deeply Mrs. Hanssen regrets the damage that her husband, Robert Hanssen, has caused to our country and to their family, the statement said. [38], The existence of two Russian moles working in the U.S. security and intelligence establishment simultaneouslyAmes at the CIA and Hanssen at the FBIcomplicated counterintelligence efforts during the 1990s. During his second round of dealing with Russian agents, Hanssen was much more cautious. Hansen opened a bakery and learned how to fly the small plane that he purchased. In the last letter he wrote to the Russians, which was found by the FBI when he was arrested, Hanssen said that he had been promoted to a "do-nothing job outside of regular access to information," and that, "Something has aroused the sleeping tiger". The Russian officer, who evidently did not recognize the code name, drove away. Our joint efforts over the last several years and specifically in this case should give pause to those contemplating betrayal of the Nations trust. This would already be enough to charge him with murder. FBI leadership decided Hanssen needed to be removed from his temporary position and brought back to FBI Headquarters. 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. In fact, when his father passed away, Hansen inherited 17 guns from him as well. Marriage: Bernadette Bonnie (Wauck) Hanssen (August 10, 1968-present), Children: Lisa, Greg, Mark, John Jack, Sue and Jane, Education: Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, A.B. 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. In 1999 he established contact with the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, the SVR, which was preceded by the KGB before Soviets collapse. [7][8] On May 10, 2002, Hanssen was sentenced to 15 consecutive sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole. He did well in his elective, Russian. This innocent looking house in Vienna used to belong to Russian spy Robert Hanssen before he was caught by the Feds. The plea bargain allows Bonnie Hanssen to receive about 55% of Hanssens pension, which will total an estimated $39,000 per year. I dont think there was anybody more shocked by all this, Brookner said. Robert Hansen died at the age of 75 in 2014, still safely behind bars (via the Anchorage Daily News). She would then use this money to run her house and support her children. They gave him a new job supervising FBI computer security. Hanssen was tracked from the time he left his house in Fairfax County, Virginia, to the time he got home at night, and it was confirmed that he was still an active spy. Sullivan noted that Hanssen spent a lot of time trolling ACS for information. He continued with his counter-intelligence work after being shifted to the New York field office in 1985. A Warner Bros. Both Ames and Hanssen compromised the names of KGB agents working secretly for the U.S., some of whom were executed for their betrayal. After Bonnie Hanssen confronted her husband, he told her that he had been in contact with his Soviet intelligence counterparts only as a ploy to trick them with disinformation, the attorney said. His twenty two years of espionage against the US began in 1979. 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. July 6, 2001 - Pleads guilty to 15 counts of espionage and conspiracy in exchange for the government not seeking the death penalty. His father, Howard, a Chicago police officer, was allegedly emotionally abusive to Hanssen during his childhood. For years, Hanssen stopped contacting the Russians. Hanssen gave them the name of a Russian general, Dimitri Polyakov, who had been providing information to the Americans. On February 18, 2001, Hanssen was arrested at a park in northern Virginia after he had placed a package at a dead drop location. He later wrote to his KGB handler, speaking about the severity with which U.S. laws punishes his alleged actions, and acknowledging I know far better than most what minefields are laid and the risks.. Hanssens espionage activities began in 1985. Though both Hansen and his wife earned respectable incomes, it would . Six was to be added to the month, day, and time of a designated drop time, so that, for example, a drop scheduled for January 6 at 1:00p.m. would be written as July 12 at 7:00p.m..[61], Despite these efforts at caution and security, Hanssen could sometimes be reckless. The most significant information that he shared was about Dmitri Polyakov, who while serving the Soviet Army as a General was spying for Americas CIA. [4][10] He graduated from William Howard Taft High School in 1962 and then attended Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, where he earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1966. All denied everything. 1999 - Resumes spying, this time for the Russian Intelligence agency. Hanssen's superiors were not amused and began an investigation. "Once he got caught, the only thing he cared about was trying to provide for his wife and his children," who visit him regularly in prison, Brookner said. By 1998, using FBI criminal profiling techniques, the pursuers suspected an innocent man: Brian Kelley, a CIA operative involved in the Bloch investigation. In January 1976, he left the police department to join the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).[4]. 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. He began providing the Soviets with highly valuable material. After divorcing Robert, Darla was faced with a choice. Director Tenet and I have briefed the intelligence committees of Congress because of the clear national security implications. Updated In what is now considered the largest intelligence breach in FBI history, Robert Hanssen's scandal made him millions in diamonds and cash, but cost the FBI $7 million and the lives of three informants. Ames was officially blamed for giving Polyakov's name to the Soviets, while Hanssen's attempt was not revealed until after his 2001 capture. She went with Hanssen on visits to Hong Kong and the FBI training facility in Quantico, Virginia. Thereafter he enrolled in Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois and in 1966 completed his bachelor degree with Chemistry as major. I intend to act swiftly on his recommendations. Robert Philip Hanssen (born April 18, 1944) is an American former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) double agent who spied for Soviet and Russian intelligence services against the United States from 1979 to 2001. Once he got caught, the only thing he cared about was trying to provide for his wife and his children, who visit him regularly in prison, Brookner said. They never lived the high life; they never even went out to dinner, she said. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. He passed on data related to surveillance activities of FBI and provided the GRU with data of suspected Soviet intelligence spies. Though she named Hansen as the man who held her captive and sexually assaulted her, it wasn't until a more thorough investigation was completed that Hansen was formally charged with crimes. 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. 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. Robert was described as a loner and a quiet person, and he had a strained relationship as well with his strict and dominating father. Hanssen's three sons attended The Heights School in Potomac, Maryland, an all-boys preparatory school. Because of his sexual deviancy and espionage conviction, the organization's reputation was badly hurt. He became known in the FBI as an expert on computers.[19]. His book written about this experience, Gray Day: My Undercover Mission to Expose America's First Cyber Spy, was published in spring 2019. The first marriage lasted only for six months; his wife divorced him while he was serving a 3-year sentence for arson in Iowa. For unknown reasons[dubious discuss], the Soviets did not act against Polyakov until he was betrayed a second time by CIA mole Aldrich Ames in 1985. Mark Wauck, an FBI employee and brother-in-law of Hanssen, prompted his superior in 1990 to investigate Hanssen after a heap of cash was found in Hanssens house, but no action was taken. Darla was an extremely religious woman, and she felt that faith could be his way out. I am shamed by it," Hanssen told U.S. District Judge Claude Hilton. After being imprisoned, Hanssen claimed he periodically admitted his espionage to priests in confession. He quit after one year and joined the Chicago Police Department as an internal affairs investigator, specializing in forensic accounting. Despite having shown his face, disclosed his code name, and revealed his FBI affiliation, Hanssen escaped arrest when the FBI's investigation into the incident did not advance. 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