A feature film called "Breach" was released in 2007. 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. children: Greg Hanssen, Jane Hanssen, John Hanssen, Lisa Hanssen, Mark Hanssen, Sue Hanssen Born Country: United States Spies American Men City: Chicago, Illinois Notable Alumni: Knox College (Illinois) U.S. State: Illinois More Facts Recommended Lists: American People Kellogg School Of Management Male Spies American Spies Aries Men At their very first meeting, ONeill reached out his hand and began to introduce himself. 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. 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. I never want you in my office again, Hanssen said. Described as. Literally, Hanssens colleagues and coworkers at the FBI conducted this investigation and did so quietly, securely and without hesitation. Sullivan noted that Hanssen spent a lot of time trolling ACS for information. January 12, 2001 - Hanssen is reassigned from counterintelligence to an obscure office at FBI headquarters. Hanssen was arrested on February 18, 2001, at Foxstone Park near his home in Vienna, Virginia, charged with selling American secrets to Russia for $1.4 million in cash and diamonds over a 22-year period. He was Amazon.com's first-ever history editor and has bylines in New York, the Chicago Tribune, and other national outlets. In January 2001, Hanssen moved into a small office in FBI Headquarters secretly outfitted with surveillance cameras and microphones. 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. 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. Guilty plea would mean life term, money for family By Naftali Bendavid . Why is it so important to take [that] car? Hanssen demanded to know. Ms. Brookner, who arranged the interview, insisted that Mrs. Hanssen not be questioned about revelations concerning her husband's sexual obsessions. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. He pled. He became an agent in 1976, and spent two years working in the Indianapolis, Indiana, field office. She agreed to describe the results, Ms. Brookner said, because they exonerated Mrs. Hanssen. The wildest part? She did not want her husband to be tempted to work for the Russians again, she told the Justice Department. Posted in . 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. Two were executed. An FBI arrest team moved into position at Foxstone Park, a location where Hanssen had been spotted before by FBI surveillance. Timeline. 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. In 1978, Hanssen was transferred to the FBI office in New York City and was assigned to a counterintelligence post. It was not a very demanding job, said Sullivan. As they outranked him, he didnt have much of a choice. But, she said, she was determined to hold her husband to the deal. 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. Suit David Huband Photographer Catherine Burdon Agent Nece Upon becoming a special agent on January 12, 1976, Hanssen was transferred to the FBI's Gary, Indiana, field office. 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. The answer shocked ONeill, then 26. The priest told Hanssen to stop his illegal activities and donate the money he had gotten from the Russians to charity. Robert Hanssen betrayed the FBI. 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.. 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. 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. "Robert Hanssen, FBI Agent Who Became a Soviet Mole." Hanssen lived in suburban Virginia, was married, and had six children; he was a devout Catholic who went to Mass every week, sometimes every day. Without the current unprecedented level of trust and cooperation between the CIA and FBI, making this case would not have been possible. Authorities said they are convinced that Bonnie Hanssen--unlike the wives of several other notorious U.S. spies who helped their husbands--was not involved in Hanssens spying. 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. But Hanssen couldn't afford the lifestyle that he thought he deserved. Robert Hanssen is a family man, devout Catholic, career FBI agent, and the most damaging spy in American history. He wanted to interview Hanssen for the book but was refused. They never lived the high life; they never even went out to dinner, she said. Christopher Burgess / Feb 18, 2021. I imagined I could smell gunpowder on his breath, ONeill writes. With two children already out of school, the pension money will help Bonnie Hanssen support two children who are in college and two more still in high school, Brookner said. I said, No way we are taking your beat-up, boring, outdated old Ford Taurus to the DIA. The complaint alleges that he received over $600,000. He also independently disclosed the identity of two KGB officials who, first compromised by Aldrich Ames, had been recruited by the U.S. Government to serve as agents in place at the Soviet Embassy in Washington. May 31, 2001 - Pleads not guilty to all charges. 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. Robert Philip Hansen thought he was smarter than the system. After being released, he met his second wife, Darla Henrichsen, and the pair got married in 1963. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 Hanssen became much more wary. On February 18, 2001, Hanssen was arrested and charged with committing espionage on behalf of Russia and the former Soviet Union. Opus Dei and Hanssen: Masters of Paradox . Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. He reportedly told his supervisors in 1990 that he suspected that Robert Hanssen was a spy after his own wife told him that, during a visit to the Hanssen home, Mrs. Hanssen told her she had become alarmed after discovering $5,000. 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. Or, rather, one person does. ''I never knew about anything else after that first time,'' Mrs. Hanssen said in the interview. Hanssen appeared to be a devoted anti-communist. 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. I dont think there was anybody more shocked by all this, Brookner said. He could sit in his office and shut the door. You can call me sir, or boss, Hanssen said. There is insanity in all the answers.. 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. Take your pick. ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/robert-hanssen-4587832. His assistant, Eric ONeill, was tasked with keeping investigators apprised of Hanssens movements. 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. 29:4-30:1, 2006, pp. 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. 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. Long-lost ship found at the bottom of Lake Huron, confirming story of tragic collision, TikTok to set default daily time limit of up to 60 minutes for minors, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, TikTok faces bans in a number of countries over security fears. The arrest of Robert Hanssen by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on charges of counterespionage represents a major crisis for the US intelligence apparatus. He looked the quintessential suburban dad, devoted to his wife and six kids, working a government job to. 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. 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. Hanssen was detailed to the Office of Foreign Missions at the Department of State from 1995 to 2000. February 18 marks the 20th anniversary of the arrest of Robert Hanssen, one of the most damaging spies in U.S. history. Fourth, there is the case of Robert Philip Hanssen, a top-level FBI agent responsible for counterintelligence in the US, who spied for the Russians from 1979 until his arrest in February 2001. robert hanssen childrenjennifer nicholson mark norfleet 27 februari, 2023 . I would like to ask him why he did it, ONeill told The Post. Just then the door buzzed, indicating Hanssens return. Michelle Karr. As part of that review, the inspector general asked Mrs. Hanssen to take a polygraph test, just days before the sentencing. On February 18, 2001, Hanssen was arrested at a park in northern Virginia after he had placed a package at a dead drop location. The FBI entrusted him with some of the most sensitive secrets of the United States Government and instead of being humbled by this honor, Hanssen has allegedly abused and betrayed that trust. She would then use this money to run her house and support her children. She is also challenging some of her husbands credit card bills. We dont know at this point what happened to that money, she said. Our hearts go out to them. 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. ''But he told me he was just tricking the Russians and feeding them false information,'' she said. The tension would not lessen over the next few days, with Hanssen telling ONeill he was a worthless clerk.. Read more Print length 352 pages We particularly appreciate the unhesitating leadership and support of Attorney General Ashcroft from the moment he took office. Today in Security. December 2000 - The FBI begins surveillance of Hanssen. She said she repeatedly questioned her husband to ensure that he was making the payments, and each time he insisted that he was. 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. 1991 - Breaks off relations with the KGB. 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. Their actions represent counterintelligence at its very best and under the most difficult and sensitive of circumstances. Another government official confirmed that Mrs. Hanssen was given a polygraph test and said she had passed it. Playing to Hanssens ego, the underling, a newlywed, said he needed relationship advice about his wife wanting to wait to have children. 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. Hanssen pled guilty to 15 counts of espionage on July 6, 2001. The criminal conduct alleged represents the most traitorous actions imaginable against a country governed by the Rule of Law. Why are we still having these debates? "I have opened the door for calumny against my totally innocent wife and children. The following year, he married Darla Henrichson, with whom he went on to have two children. A bakery owner by trade, Hansen was also an avid outdoorsman and. The investigation of Hanssen was conducted by the FBI in partnership with the CIA, the Department of State, and, of course, the Justice Department. The complaint alleges that Hanssen conspired to and did commit espionage for Russia and the former Soviet Union. Hanssen was set to retire, so investigators had to move fast. While not identifying himself, he was able to gain their trust by initially providing information which the Soviets found both credible and valuable. He happens to be Catholic. He has never answered that question for anyone. The purloined PalmPilot gave the FBI the final piece of the puzzle: Hanssens next meeting with the Russians was scheduled for the following weekend. Hanssens espionage activities began in 1985. Robert Hanssen Ryan Phillippe Eric O'Neill Dennis Haysbert Dean Plesac Laura Linney Kate Burroughs Caroline Dhavernas Juliana O'Neill Gary Cole Rich Garces Kathleen Quinlan Bonnie Hanssen Bruce Davison John O'Neill Jonathan Watton Geddes Tom Barnett Jim Olsen Jonathan Potts D.I.A. Hanssen would now be ONeills boss. Robert P. Bucciarelli, a priest affiliated with Opus Dei, a conservative Catholic organization the Hanssens had joined several years earlier. Regrettably, I stand here today both saddened and outraged. Unlike Cold War spies of an earlier era, Hanssen claimed to have no political motivation for selling out his country. 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 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. But Thursday, Bonnie Hanssen issued a statement through her attorney revealing the torment that the case has caused. You know hes armed and Im not. One eye twitched.. 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. McNamara, Robert. Robert P. Hanssen, the former F.B.I. I slammed the door behind me and slid to a halt in Hanssens office.. But dont be fooled by that appearance. 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. four in a bed contestant dies. The Russian had obtained Hanssen's KGB file. None of the internal information or personnel security measures in place alerted those charged with internal security to his activities. In fact, her husband resumed his espionage career. He worked as a policeman in Chicago for three years and was placed on an elite unit that investigated corruption. Under Mr. Hanssen's plea bargain, she. Imbecile! In his office, Hanssen had full access to the FBIs Automated Case Support (ACS) system and the State Departments computer systems. When the news media reported that alleged spy Robert Hanssen was a member of Opus Dei back in 2001, many wondered how Hanssen could provide sensitive information to communists, when Opus Dei has always seemed to be so vehemently opposed to communism. The FBI also obtains the complete original KGB dossier on Hanssen. 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. Himself, he met his second wife, Darla Henrichsen, and each time he insisted he! 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