Special Agent Don Sullivan, a squad supervisor at the FBIs Washington Field Office at the time, volunteered to replace Hanssen. In 1991, he discontinued selling classified information to KGB after the collapse of Soviet Union and also probably because the FBI was on the lookout for a probable defector. 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. For years, Hanssen stopped contacting the Russians. Asked what Bonnie Hanssen thinks may have motivated her husband, Brookner said: Who knows? [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. By. He quit after one year and joined the Chicago Police Department as an internal affairs investigator, specializing in forensic accounting. [34], In 1994, Hanssen expressed interest in a transfer to the new National Counterintelligence Center, which coordinated counterintelligence activities. He is a public speaker and security All denied everything. He continued with his counter-intelligence work after being shifted to the New York field office in 1985. He compromised information about Americas plan of forming Measurement and Signature Intelligence, its bugging plan over the Soviets by digging a tunnel under the decoding room of the Soviets new embassy and data on double agents of the US. Yet some investigators believed anger about how his father treated him as a child triggered a need to rebel against authority. The plea bargain spared Hanssen the death penalty. [35] Three years later, convicted FBI mole Earl Edwin Pitts told the FBI that he suspected Hanssen due to the Mislock incident. On May 10, 2002, he was given sentence of fifteen life terms without a chance of parole. Robert Hansen was a reputed baker and a married man with two children living in Anchorage, Alaska. Instead, he ultimately became the most damaging spy in Bureau history. The FBI believes that the Russians never knew the name of their source. He worked in an accounting firm for a year after which he was selected in the Chicago Police Department. FBI leadership decided Hanssen needed to be removed from his temporary position and brought back to FBI Headquarters. His assistant, Eric ONeill, was tasked with keeping investigators apprised of Hanssens movements. On a 2017blog post, Hale revealed that he had attempted to contact Hansen's now adult children, but was unsuccessful. We particularly appreciate the unhesitating leadership and support of Attorney General Ashcroft from the moment he took office. May 9, 2002 4:00am. They created a list of all agents known to have access to cases that were compromised. This wedded bliss was short-lived, however. Children: Lisa, Greg, Mark, John "Jack," Sue and Jane Education: Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, A.B. But police also found an aviation map Hansen had marked with various X's, later revealed to be his kill map (via Murderpedia). Regrettably, I stand here today both saddened and outraged. ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/robert-hanssen-4587832. He also paid visits to various sex workers, two of whom filed complaints to the police about Hansen and his strange and terrifying behaviors. Thereafter he enrolled in Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois and in 1966 completed his bachelor degree with Chemistry as major. [64] His three daughters attended Oakcrest School for Girls in Vienna, Virginia, an independent Roman Catholic school. On January 12, 1976, Robert Philip Hanssen swore an oath to enforce the law and protect the nation as a newly minted FBI special agent. (Serial Killer) Robert Christian Hansen was a convicted serial killer from America who abducted, raped, and murdered at least 17 women in and around Anchorage, Alaska, in the 1970s and early 1980s. 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. 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. [75], The American Court TV (now TruTV) television series Mugshots released an episode on the Robert Hanssen case titled "Robert Hanssen Hanssen and the KGB".[76]. For these reasons, the FBI learned of his true identity before the Russians; they are learning of it only now. Robert Hansen died at the age of 75 in 2014, still safely behind bars (via theAnchorage Daily News). When he pleaded guilty and received a 461-year prison sentence in 1984, Darla divorced him. Robert Hanssen's business cards, chalk and thumb tacks, which he used to communicate with his Russian contacts, according to the FBI. "[3] Hanssen is currently serving 15 consecutive life sentences without parole at ADX Florence, a federal supermax prison near Florence, Colorado. [15] During his first espionage cycle, Hanssen provided a significant amount of information to the GRU, including details of the FBI's bugging activities and lists of suspected Soviet intelligence agents. FBI agents remove evidence from Robert Hanssen's home in Vienna, Virginia on February 20, 2001. . Robert Hanssen's business cards, chalk and thumb tacks, which he used to communicate with his Russian contacts, according to the FBI. [6] Robert Hanssen moments after being arrested. Hanssen gave them the name of a Russian general, Dimitri Polyakov, who had been providing information to the Americans. In one letter to his Russian handlers, Hanssen complains about lost opportunities to alert them that the FBI had discovered the microphone hidden at the State Department, known then by the FBI but apparently not by Hanssen as being monitored by a Russian intelligence officer. 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. The agencies initially focused primarilyand incorrectlyon a veteran CIA case officer, who was investigated for nearly two years. Both schools are associated with Opus Dei. 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. After a stint of three years he was shifted to the Soviet Analytical Unit that delved in probing, recognising and catching Soviet agents in the US. There he served as an investigator of internal affairs with specialisation in forensic accounting. [4], In 1989, Hanssen compromised the FBI investigation of Felix Bloch, a Department of State official who had become suspected of espionage. Is sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. He was charged with selling U.S. intelligence documents to the Soviet Union and subsequently Russia for more than $1.4 million in cash and diamonds over 22 years. 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. 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. [49][50][51], During his final days with the FBI, Hanssen began to suspect something was wrong. 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. The Hanssens are active members of Opus Dei, a conservative Catholic group. [27][28] When the Soviets began construction on a new embassy during 1977, the FBI dug a tunnel beneath their decoding room. "I apologize for my behavior. In 1979, Hanssen approached the Soviet Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) and offered his services. Hanssen restarted communications the next year and continued until his arrest. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much But Thursday, Bonnie Hanssen issued a statement through her attorney revealing the torment that the case has caused. [17][18], In 1981, Hanssen was transferred to FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., and he relocated to the suburb of Vienna, Virginia. 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.. The failure of the Bloch investigation and the FBI's investigation of how the KGB learned that they were investigating Bloch caused the mole hunt that eventually resulted in the arrest of Hanssen. The October 1 letter began a long, active espionage period for Hanssen. 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. Though both Hansen and his wife earned respectable incomes, it would be revealed that it was Darla who was supporting the household. Literally, Hanssens colleagues and coworkers at the FBI conducted this investigation and did so quietly, securely and without hesitation. 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. 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. Judge Webster and anyone he selects to assist him will have complete access and whatever resources are necessary to complete this task. While their exact whereabouts are unknown to the public, it's suspected that they still live in the Midwest. At least two movies have been made about Hanssen. During his second round of dealing with Russian agents, Hanssen was much more cautious. 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. 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. Although his name was not specifically mentioned, evidence in the file pointed to Hanssen, who was put under close surveillance. After divorcing Robert, Darla was faced with a choice. Aside from a few brushes with the law, Hansen led a fairly ordinary life. Hanssen sold thousands of classified documents to the KGB that detailed U.S. strategies in the event of nuclear war, developments in military weapons technologies, and aspects of the U.S. counterintelligence program. Hanssen's superiors were not amused and began an investigation. 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. His espionage was described by the Department of Justice as "possibly the worst intelligence disaster in U.S. Their actions represent counterintelligence at its very best and under the most difficult and sensitive of circumstances. Before Hanssen left the position, Sullivan went to learn his new role at the Department of State. [44] FBI agent Michael Waguespack thought the voice was familiar, but could not remember who it was. 1999 - Resumes spying, this time for the Russian Intelligence agency. NSD chief Johnnie Sullivan ordered the computer impounded after it seemed to have been tampered with. [66] Opus Dei member C. John McCloskey said he also occasionally attended the daily noontime Mass at the Catholic Information Center in downtown Washington. He then followed his usual routine, taking a package consisting of a sealed garbage bag of classified material and taping it to the bottom side of a wooden footbridge over a creek. All Rights Reserved. On February 18, 2001, Hanssen was arrested at a park in northern Virginia after he had placed a package at a dead drop location. On February 18, 2001, he was arrested by the FBI when he was keeping a waste bag full of classified information in a pre-planned place from where his Russian handler could collect it. Though the government alleges that Robert Hanssen, 56,. After around five years he joined the FBI in January 1976. Hansen was convicted of just four of the murders in a deal that spared him . In May 2002, Hanssen was sentenced to life in prison. Hanssen's three sons attended The Heights School in Potomac, Maryland, an all-boys preparatory school. Its amazing to live with a man for all those years and not know him.. 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. Director Tenet and I have briefed the intelligence committees of Congress because of the clear national security implications. "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. An FBI Agent who raised his right hand and spoke those words over 25 years ago has been charged today with violating that oath in the most egregious and reprehensible manner imaginable. July 6, 2001 - Pleads guilty to 15 counts of espionage and conspiracy in exchange for the government not seeking the death penalty. January 12, 1976 - Joins the FBI as a special agent. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. He emerged as one of the most damaging spies to have infiltrated the FBI resulting in probably the worst intelligence disaster in the history of the US. She went with Hanssen on visits to Hong Kong and the FBI training facility in Quantico, Virginia. The Soviets, suspicious of being lured into a trap, demanded to meet him. Hanssen became alarmed that a Russian with knowledge of his activities would tip off the Americans that a highly placed mole was operating within the FBI and the resultant investigation would lead to him. Did you encounter any technical issues? After graduating from a public high school, Hanssen attended Knox College in Illinois, studying chemistry and Russian. [71], The Hanssen spy case is told in Ronald Kessler's book The Secrets of the FBI in chapter 15, "Catching Hanssen," chapter 16, "Breach", and chapter 17, "Unexplained Cash", based in part on interviews with Michael Rochford, who directed the FBI team that eventually caught Hanssen after initially wrongly assuming a CIA officer was the master spy. For a time he planned to become a dentist, but eventually wound up obtaining an MBA and becoming an accountant. Robert was born in 1939 in Iowa to Danish immigrants Christian and Edna Hansen. He met his second wife, Darla, shortly after his parole. House Belonging To Former Spy Robert Hanssen Won't Sell. He went to the Russian embassy in person and physically approached a GRU officer in the parking garage. Biography of Vladimir Putin: From KGB Agent to Russian President, Biography of Mata Hari, Infamous World War I Spy, Haym Salomon, Spy and Financier of the American Revolution, Biography of Virginia Hall, WWII's Most Wanted Spy, Biography of Fred Hampton, Black Panther Party Leader, Biography of Robert Kennedy, US Attorney General, Presidential Candidate, John Dillinger's Life as Public Enemy Number 1, Biography of Nikita Khrushchev, Cold War Era Soviet Leader. His espionage of more than two decades had earned him cash of over 1.4 million USD and diamonds. Hanssen reportedly lavished cash and gifts on a Washington stripper whom he befriended. [23] Martynov and Motorin were recalled to Moscow, where they were arrested, charged, tried, and convicted of espionage against the Soviet government. The information he is alleged to have provided compromised numerous human sources, technical operations, counterintelligence techniques, sources and methods, and investigations, including the Felix Bloch investigation. He had opportunity. 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. Since he held key counterintelligence positions, he had authorized access to classified information. Interestingly, after being relocated to Washington in 1987, he was delegated with a specific probe which actually meant searching for himself but he tactfully managed it. The following year he was shifted to counter-intelligence division where he was delegated the job of organising data of Soviet intelligence. On January 12, 1976, Robert Philip Hanssen swore an oath to enforce the law and protect the nation as a newly minted FBI special agent. [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. [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. May 10, 2002 - Is sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. Intelligence officials began debriefing Hanssen this week, defense attorney Preston Burton said Thursday. The couple, however, did not have a great relationship. January 12, 2001 - Hanssen is reassigned from counterintelligence to an obscure office at FBI headquarters. Yet Brookner said Bonnie Hanssen has no intention of divorcing her husband. In 1962 he completed his graduation from William Howard Taft High School. 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