Since becoming Director over seven years ago, I have administered the FBI oath to each graduating class of Special Agents at the FBI Academy. Hanssen received payments of $1.4 million in cash and diamonds from the information he gave the Soviet Union and Russia. But she was questioned in the polygraph test on her knowledge of Mr. Hanssen's later spying career. 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. She visits her husband in prison regularly. (They took Hanssens Ford and the plan to search his car was dropped for the time being.). Its amazing to live with a man for all those years and not know him.. Did you encounter any technical issues? Authors Lawrence Schiller and Norman Mailer at the Omni Hotel, where they spoke about their new book "Into the Mirror . ''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. Alleman tasked him with purloining Hanssens PalmPilot. 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.. Source: Netflix Article continues below advertisement 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. Twenty years ago today, Hanssen was arrested on February 18, 2001 when he was . May 10, 2002 Posted: 11:59 AM EDT (1559 GMT) Former FBI agent Robert Hanssen. As they took him into custody, Hanssen turned to one and said, What took you so long?. Playing to Hanssens ego, the underling, a newlywed, said he needed relationship advice about his wife wanting to wait to have children. Hanssen was serving as a detailee to the Office of Foreign Missions at the Department of State at the time suspicions around him arose. One day, she said, she found her husband scurrying to cover up some papers in the basement of their home in Scarsdale, N.Y. 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. The attorney estimated that Hanssen contributed $10,000 to $20,000 to Mother Teresa in small installments over the years, although the FBI has not been able to verify the payments. All three were arrested; two were executed. Christian owned a bakery and would make his son work for long hours as a kid. Stahl reports that Hanssen invited his best friend to watch him. In one deadly instance in 1985, the FBI believed Hanssen exposed three KGB agents working for the Americans. ONeill, 46, left the FBI in May 2001. Who were Robert Hansen's wives and children? He happens to be Catholic. February 18 marks the 20th anniversary of the arrest of Robert Hanssen, one of the most damaging spies in U.S. history. 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. ThoughtCo. According to . Because of these coordinated efforts, the FBI was able to secure original Russian documentation of an American spy who appeared to the FBI to be Hanssen a premise that was soon to be confirmed when Hanssen was identified by the FBI as having clandestinely communicated with Russian intelligence officers. 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. You can call me sir, or boss, Hanssen said. The plea bargain allows Bonnie Hanssen to receive about 55% of Hanssens pension, which will total an estimated $39,000 per year. A feature film called Breach was released in 2007. According to the University of the Free State's "A Psychobiography of Robert Hansen: The 'Butcher Baker,'" Hansen was no different. 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. Sun, Feb 12, 2023. . January 12, 2001 - Hanssen is reassigned from counterintelligence to an obscure office at FBI headquarters. In May 2002, Hanssen was sentenced to life in prison. 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. It is also one which can turn ingenious quickly, like an idiot savant, once convinced of a goal.. I would like to ask him why he did it, ONeill told The Post. On February 18, 2001, Hanssen was arrested and charged with committing espionage on behalf of Russia and the former Soviet Union. Children: Lisa, Greg, Mark, John "Jack," Sue and Jane. As O'Neill explained to the audience and often mentions in his book, Hanssen was ahead of his time. Their actions represent counterintelligence at its very best and under the most difficult and sensitive of circumstances. Two were executed. A feature film called "Breach" was released in 2007. The family hopes Mr. Hanssen will be sent to the federal prison in Allenwood, Pa., which would be close enough for Mrs. Hanssen to continue to visit regularly. Bokhan. 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. As an agency, we lived up to our responsibility, regardless of how painful it might be. That fall, Mr. Hanssen was transferred back to New York as a supervisor in charge of a counterintelligence squad. 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. 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On Feb. 18, 2001, Hanssen left a package presumably full of classified documents wrapped in trash bags underneath a bridge in Foxstone Park, then placed a piece of tape at a nearby location, indicating the drop had been made. 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. While other spies were still chasing after paper files, Hanssen had entered the digital world. He was, after all, a trained counterintelligence specialist. 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. While not identifying himself, he was able to gain their trust by initially providing information which the Soviets found both credible and valuable. She said that her husband is ''doing about as well as can be expected,'' and that ''he is very relieved that I have the pension. He also expressed his trademark annoyance. 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. The astonishing letter gave the FBI what it had long sought definitive proof that Hanssen was the spy who had been betraying them since 1985, doing colossal damage to the USs counterintelligence capabilities by, among other things, revealing the identities of their undercover agents. February 18, 2001 - Is arrested in a Virginia park after making a drop of classified documents. Hanssen pled guilty to 15 counts of espionage on July 6, 2001. But Thursday, Bonnie Hanssen issued a statement through her attorney revealing the torment that the case has caused. 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. FBI agents outside Robert Hanssen's home in Virginia, Feb. 20, 2001. He married Bernadette Wauck in 1968 and, influenced by his devout Catholic wife, he converted to Catholicism. But while agents moved and searched Hanssens car, he unexpectedly cut the meeting short, stalking out and leaving ONeill no time to notify Alleman. 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. Before Hanssen left the position, Sullivan went to learn his new role at the Department of State. Sometime in the mid-1960s, Robert Hansen got married for the second time. They were finishing just as Hanssen texted that he was on his way back. Timeline. The bureau had not asked her to take a polygraph test after her husband's arrest in February 2001. None of the internal information or personnel security measures in place alerted those charged with internal security to his activities. 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. The FBI also obtains the complete original KGB dossier on Hanssen. 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. It said Bokhan's son, Alex, 18, was having trouble in military school and suggested the deputy take his vacation now, three months early, and return to the Soviet Union to deal with him. The complaint alleges that he received over $600,000. They had two children together and were respected members of the community. 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 was detailed to the Office of Foreign Missions at the Department of State from 1995 to 2000. The news that he used to literally hunt women and kill them after sexually assaulting them sent shockwaves through the state of Alaska, and on occasion, even beyond its borders. But, she said, she was determined to hold her husband to the deal. Anything else while were at it? In fact, he had already betrayed one of the United States' most important agents: Gen. Dmitri Polyakov of the G.R.U. "I have opened the door for calumny against my totally innocent wife and children. Hanssen's guilty plea involved 15 counts of espionage and conspiracy. All Rights Reserved. The agencies initially focused primarilyand incorrectlyon a veteran CIA case officer, who was investigated for nearly two years. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. In his communications with the Russians (some of which were eventually made public after his arrest) he insisted on setting the terms of how he would communicate, pass information, and pick up money. Director Jenny Chung Writer Jenny Chung Stars Bob Aguilar Jim Babel Jeff Barber That effort is complemented by substantial FBI proactive investigation of foreign service intelligence officers here and by the critical work done by the CIA. It was not a very demanding job, said Sullivan. In that case, Hanssen would immediately know why no one stole cars from the FBI garage and there was no telling how the almost certainly armed Hanssen would react. Imbecile! Hanssen, in full blowhard mode, got back in the car and the two took the slow route as he lectured ONeill. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. We dont know at this point what happened to that money, she said. ''But he told me he was just tricking the Russians and feeding them false information,'' she said. 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. A self-taught computer expert, Hansen often encrypted his stolen files on wafer-thin disks. The first time around, his wife divorced him after a mere half-year because of his incarceration for arson in Iowa. Senior FBI officials described him as . . The answer shocked ONeill, then 26. by Tammy A. DiNicola. This story has been shared 149,018 times. Hanssen checked the sign three times that night. '', ''I have very supportive friends, who have been tremendous,'' Mrs. Hanssen said. In 1976, Robert Hanssen began his career as an FBI agent, but by 1985, he was working for the former Soviet Union, slipping the Russians classified secrets in exchange for more than $1.4 million . Or, rather, one person does. She would then use this money to run her house and support her children. .) And there was more than a touch of obvious paranoia: My security concerns have proven reality-based, Hanssen wrote. appreciated. Although Robert Hanssen forfeited all the money he received from Moscow, his wife and six children get to keep their Vienna, Va., home and three cars, under the plea agreement. 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. The couple, however, did not have a great relationship. 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. https://www.thoughtco.com/robert-hanssen-4587832 (accessed March 1, 2023). Follow. Since he held key counterintelligence positions, he had authorized access to classified information. I never want you in my office again, Hanssen said. He visited an office of the Russian government's trading company and offered to spy. 1999 - Resumes spying, this time for the Russian Intelligence agency. agent who confessed to selling secrets to Moscow, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole today by a . Many of the questions centered on assertions made by Mrs. Hanssen's brother, Mark Wauck, an F.B.I. But while the FBI could have arrested Hanssen on the spot, they would have had him only on a conspiracy charge. Assistant Eric O'Neill (right) tells in his new book how he helped. ONeill now feared he may have pushed Hanssen over the line from suspicion to paranoia. So he leaned back, forcing Hanssen off balance a bit, and apologized for his outburst claiming he just wanted to make sure they roll into the DIA in style, in that big black FBI SUV., This seemed to pacify his boss. By ABC News. Hanssen was an FBI agent for 25 years, but he was also a spy for the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation . had too readily accepted Mrs. Hanssen's version of events. "Robert Hanssen, FBI Agent Who Became a Soviet Mole." Director Tenet and I have briefed the intelligence committees of Congress because of the clear national security implications. They have committed their lives to public service and to upholding the high standards of the FBI. Still, he was not identified as a spy. 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. Yet Brookner said Bonnie Hanssen has no intention of divorcing her husband. Through Attorney General John Ashcroft, I would like to thank the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. She told Sergeant Flothe (the man who played a pivotal role in Hansens capture) that their income streams were separate and that Hansen would spend the money from the bakery on his own needs. The Spy Who Loved Spying A good spy needs a good cover, and Hanssen had one of the best. But Hanssen couldn't afford the lifestyle that he thought he deserved. Judge Webster and anyone he selects to assist him will have complete access and whatever resources are necessary to complete this task. 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. Enraged to the point that his fist was clenched in a tight ball, Hanssen ran through his usual list of insults Idiot! He compromised the security of his country and put the lives of colleagues in danger. To be very clear on this issue, at no time was he authorized to communicate information to agents of the KGB/SVR. Hanssen gave them the name of a Russian general, Dimitri Polyakov, who had been providing information to the Americans. The complaint alleges that Hanssen conspired to and did commit espionage for Russia and the former Soviet Union. Browse 139 robert hanssen stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. 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. I told him I thought it was insane.''. Did you see it?. The data-some 6000 pages of highly classified documents-revealed . The Robert Hanssen Story" was released in 2002. robert hanssen children. officer based in Washington. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much 's New York field office. Children: Lisa, Greg, Mark, John "Jack," Sue and Jane. 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. 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. Children: Lisa, Greg, Mark, John "Jack," Sue and Jane. In fact, when his father passed away, Hansen inherited 17 guns from him as well. Its difficult, but its better than seeing him put to death.. He lobbied his Russian masters to buy him a newer PalmPilot, with wireless Internet capabilities, which would allow the rapid transmission of encrypted messages. 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. 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. As alleged, he did so using a variety of sophisticated means of communication, encryption, and dead drops. I imagined I could smell gunpowder on his breath, ONeill writes. But Hanssen couldn & # x27 ; Neill explained to the audience and often mentions in new... Hansen & # x27 ; Neill explained to the audience and often mentions in his new book he!, What took you so long? & quot ; Into the Mirror after a mere half-year because the. Pension, which will total an estimated $ 39,000 per year I have very supportive friends, who been! Sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole today by a lived up to responsibility. 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