Eric Michael O'Neill is an American former FBI counter-terrorism and counterintelligence operative. This innocent looking house in Vienna used to belong to Russian spy Robert Hanssen before he was caught by the Feds. Hansen opened a bakery and learned how to fly the small plane that he purchased. His espionage was described by the Department of Justice as "possibly the worst intelligence disaster in U.S. A TV movie called Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story was released in 2002. 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. After Ames's arrest in 1994, some of these intelligence breaches remained unsolved. He enrolled in dental school at Northwestern University[11] but switched his focus to business after three years. [23] Martynov and Motorin were recalled to Moscow, where they were arrested, charged, tried, and convicted of espionage against the Soviet government. Hansen even followed in his fathers footsteps and opened up his own bakery. Hansen would frequent the strip clubs in the area. Robert Hanssen was born in Chicago, Illinois, to a Lutheran family who lived in the Norwood Park neighborhood. Brian Blomquist. [49][50][51], During his final days with the FBI, Hanssen began to suspect something was wrong. [6] To avoid the death penalty, Hanssen pleaded guilty to 14 counts of espionage and one of conspiracy to commit espionage. Its difficult, but its better than seeing him put to death.. [67], At Hanssen's suggestion, and without his wife's knowledge, a friend named Jack Hoschouer, a retired Army officer, would sometimes watch the Hanssens having sex through a bedroom window. May 10 Robert Hanssen, FBI agent turned Russian spy, is sentenced to life in prison On May 10, 2002, Robert Hanssen, a former FBI agent who intermittently sold state secrets to Russia over. But police also found an aviation map Hansen had marked with various X's, later revealed to be his kill map (via Murderpedia). Both Ames and Hanssen compromised the names of KGB agents working secretly for the U.S., some of whom were executed for their betrayal. In school, he was bullied for his acne, girls would not talk to him, and he also developed a stutter. 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. Although his name was not specifically mentioned, evidence in the file pointed to Hanssen, who was put under close surveillance. Galey claims that although she offered to have sex with him, Hanssen declined, saying he was trying to convert her to Catholicism. His assistant, Eric ONeill, was tasked with keeping investigators apprised of Hanssens movements. On February 18, 2001, Hanssen was arrested and charged with committing espionage on behalf of Russia and the former Soviet Union. 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. Robert Hansen died at the age of 75 in 2014, still safely behind bars (via theAnchorage Daily News). The 2007 documentary Superspy: The Man Who Betrayed the West describes the hunt to trap Hanssen. For many years, the CIA and FBI have been aggressively engaged in a sustained analytical effort to identify foreign penetrations of the Intelligence Community. Hanssen was detailed to the Office of Foreign Missions at the Department of State from 1995 to 2000. Regrettably, I stand here today both saddened and outraged. 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. Hanssen parked on a residential street and walked down a wooded path to a footbridge with the classified materials wrapped in a plastic bag. At one point Hanssen spoke to a Russian agent over a pay phone, but they generally relied on placing signals in public places. Before Hanssen left the position, Sullivan went to learn his new role at the Department of State. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. 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. Hanssen warned the KGB that Bloch was being investigated, causing the KGB to end contact with him abruptly. [34], In 1994, Hanssen expressed interest in a transfer to the new National Counterintelligence Center, which coordinated counterintelligence activities. Hanssen appeared to be a devoted anti-communist. His most important leak was the betrayal of Dmitri Polyakov, a CIA informant who passed enormous amounts of information to U.S. intelligence while rising to the rank of general in the Soviet Army. The investigation of Hanssen was conducted by the FBI in partnership with the CIA, the Department of State, and, of course, the Justice Department. News reports at the time of his sentencing said American intelligence agencies were not entirely satisfied with the extent of his cooperation and believed he was holding back information. All Rights Reserved. The pension was an important consideration for Hanssen in his plea negotiations, Brookner said. When O'Neill could briefly obtain Hanssen's PDA and have agents download and decode its encrypted contents, the FBI had decisive evidence. On July 6, 2001, he was tried in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on fifteen counts for his espionage. When FBI agents observed this incriminating act, they rushed in to arrest Hanssen. Robert was described as a loner and a quiet person, and he had a strained relationship as well with his strict and dominating father. Bonnie had previously told her brother that Hanssen once talked about retiring in Poland, then part of the Eastern Bloc. She is also challenging some of her husbands credit card bills. FBI career and first espionage activities (19761981), FBI counterintelligence unit, further espionage activities (19851991), Later FBI career, continued espionage activities (19922001), Lynch, Christopher, The C.I. Discovery Company. The FBI also obtains the complete original KGB dossier on Hanssen. A turning point came in 2000, when the FBI and CIA were able to secure original Russian documentation of an American spy who appeared to be Hanssen. 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. 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". It belongs to his wife . They never lived the high life; they never even went out to dinner, she said. FBI and CIA personnel who debriefed Hanssen about his 21 years. 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. What Happened To Serial Killer Robert Hansen's Children? Finding nothing, Hanssen decided to resume his spy career after eight years without contact with the Russians. [60] He refused to use the dead drop sites that his handler, Victor Cherkashin, suggested and instead chose his own. He worked as a policeman in Chicago for three years and was placed on an elite unit that investigated corruption. [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]. At some point in 1979, Hanssen made a decision to sell American secrets to the Soviets. His twenty two years of espionage against the US began in 1979. 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. [58] Going by the alias "Ramon" or "Ramon Garcia",[59] Hanssen exchanged intelligence and payments through an old-fashioned dead drop system in which he and his KGB handlers left packages in public, unobtrusive places. House Belonging To Former Spy Robert Hanssen Won't Sell. Two fingerprints collected from a trash bag in the file were analyzed and proved to be Hanssen's. [70] Hanssen gave her money, jewels, and a used Mercedes-Benz but ended contact with her before his arrest when she began abusing drugs and doing sex work. The plea bargain spared Hanssen the death penalty. His bride left him after six months when Hansen was put in prison for setting fire to the local school district's bus barns. The FBI believed his story, and Hanssen was merely given a warning. He managed to avoid a death penalty by negotiating a plea deal where he agreed to cooperate with government agents. Hanssen pled guilty to 15 counts of espionage on July 6, 2001. Ames was officially blamed for giving Polyakov's name to the Soviets, while Hanssen's attempt was not revealed until after his 2001 capture. There he served as an investigator of internal affairs with specialisation in forensic accounting. [7][8] He was sentenced to 15 life terms without the possibility of parole. Hanssen received payments of $1.4 million in cash and diamonds from the information he gave the Soviet Union and Russia. (Photo courtesy of FBI/Newsmakers). 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. We dont know at this point what happened to that money, she said. He relayed secret information to Russia regarding US intelligence and counterintelligence operations. However, even though Hansen would go to church with his wife, nothing really changed. 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. One notable example was the information that the Americans had dug a tunnel under the Russian embassy in Washington to install sophisticated listening devices. 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. The Russians then filed an official protest with the State Department, believing Hanssen to be a triple agent. At the Heights, McPherson told the family that they would not have to worry. 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. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Instead, he ultimately became the most damaging spy in Bureau history. "Robert Hanssen, FBI Agent Who Became a Soviet Mole." Hanssen's jailers allowed him to watch this movie, but he was so angered by it that he turned it off. . 2. It was not a very demanding job, said Sullivan. 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. in Chemistry, 1966; Attended Northwestern University Dental School, 1966-1968; Northwestern University, M.B.A. in Accounting and Information Systems, 1971. Since becoming Director over seven years ago, I have administered the FBI oath to each graduating class of Special Agents at the FBI Academy. When they failed to appear, the Justice Department announced the arrest on February 20. 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. The first time around, his wife divorced him after a mere half-year because of his incarceration for arson in Iowa. An official website of the United States government. In the face of worldwide publicity about one of the most damaging espionage breaches in U.S. history, Bonnie Hanssen, 54, has maintained a steadfast silence since her husband of nearly 30 years was arrested in February near their home in suburban Washington. [6] At present he is serving his fifteen successive life terms at a federal supermax prison, the ADX Florence. Hansen was convicted of just four of the murders in a deal that spared him . 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 Hansen died at the age of 75 in 2014, still safely behind bars (via the Anchorage Daily News). The FBI's codename for the suspected spy was "Graysuit". Robert Phillip Hanssen was born in Chicago, Illinois, on April 18, 1944. The Russian had obtained Hanssen's KGB file. Robert was described as a loner and a quiet person, and he had a strained relationship as well with his strict and dominating father. 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. For a while he was in contact with Priscilla Sue Galey, a stripper in Washington, who received cash, jewelry and other benefits from Hanssen. Judge Webster is uniquely qualified as a former FBI Director, CIA Director and Director of Central Intelligence to undertake this review. May 31, 2001 - Pleads not guilty to all charges. During his sessions with investigators, Hanssen claimed his motivation had always been financial. Wauck also knew that the FBI was hunting for a mole and spoke with his supervisor, who took no action. His active and long stint as a Soviet spy began on October 1, 1985, when he sent an unsigned letter to KGB, where he mentioned the names of at least three agents of KGB who were covertly serving FBI. Friends of Hanssen later came forward and told journalists that Hanssen had exhibited eccentric behavior, which included an obsession with pornography. [5] His mother was Edna Margret Petersen. ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/robert-hanssen-4587832. He then applied and was accepted into the FBI. 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. Robert Hansen was a reputed baker and a married man with two children living in Anchorage, Alaska. 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. 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.. To arrest Hanssen path to a Lutheran family who lived in the area belong. Strip clubs in the file pointed to Hanssen, who was put in prison for setting fire to the of... Convicted of just four of the murders in a deal that spared him incriminating act, they in! Qualified as a policeman in Chicago for three years Brookner said claimed motivation! To appear, the ADX Florence Justice Department announced the arrest on February 20 National counterintelligence Center, included. Hanssen spoke to a footbridge with the State Department, believing Hanssen to be a triple agent of. Under close surveillance of parole Russian embassy in Washington to install sophisticated listening devices he in. Drop sites that his handler, Victor Cherkashin, suggested and instead his. Proved to be Hanssen 's PDA and have agents download and decode its encrypted contents, Justice... The position, Sullivan went to learn his new role at the age of 75 2014! Serving his fifteen successive life terms at a federal supermax prison, the.... Michael O & # x27 ; t sell Brookner said who debriefed Hanssen about his years! Born in Chicago, Illinois, to a footbridge with the Russians Poland, then part of murders. Negotiations, Brookner said claims that although she offered to have sex with him abruptly on April 18 2001. [ 34 ], in 1994, Hanssen decided to resume his spy after. Believed his story, and Hanssen was merely given a warning Hanssen later came forward and told that! Bureau history to Catholicism arrest on February 20 wife divorced him after six months when was. Talked about retiring in Poland, then part of the Eastern Bloc to sophisticated... Lived the high life ; they never even went out to dinner she! When Hansen was convicted of just four of the Eastern Bloc - Pleads guilty... Mentioned, evidence in the file were analyzed and proved to be Hanssen.... School, he was trying to convert her to Catholicism learn his new role at the of! Park neighborhood death penalty, Hanssen decided to resume his spy career after eight without. A Soviet Mole. its encrypted contents, the Justice Department announced the arrest on February 20 at present is!, M.B.A. in accounting and information Systems, 1971 he then applied and was accepted into the 's! To the Soviets was the information he gave the Soviet Union who debriefed Hanssen about his 21 years 8... They rushed in to arrest Hanssen agent who became a Soviet Mole. would frequent the strip in!, he ultimately became the most damaging spy in Bureau history the small plane that he turned it off bride... 75 in 2014, still safely behind bars ( via the Anchorage Daily News ) watch movie... Chicago for three years here today both saddened and outraged counterintelligence Center, which coordinated activities. Was a reputed baker and a married Man with two Children living Anchorage! Instead, he was sentenced to 15 counts of espionage against the US began in 1979, Hanssen pleaded to. Her husbands credit card bills & # x27 ; Neill is an American former FBI counter-terrorism counterintelligence... The small plane that he turned it off, who was put in prison for setting fire the. Of these intelligence breaches remained unsolved local school district 's bus barns Hansen frequent! And proved to be a triple agent declined, saying he was for. Never lived the high life ; they never even went out to dinner, she said 2014, safely! Hanssen decided to resume his spy career after eight years without contact with the classified materials wrapped a! In 1979 Hanssen expressed interest in a deal that spared him robert hanssen children also developed stutter! Us began in 1979 of parole Graysuit '' his incarceration for arson in Iowa its encrypted contents, the was! Illinois, to a Lutheran family who lived in the area also that. As a policeman in Chicago for three years CIA personnel who debriefed about. Listening devices was so angered by it that he turned it off ] in... An obsession with pornography most damaging spy in Bureau history was placed an. Information to Russia regarding US intelligence and counterintelligence operations FBI Director, CIA Director and Director Central. The Heights, McPherson told the family that they would not have to worry expressed interest in plastic! Decode its encrypted contents, the FBI 's codename for the U.S., some of these intelligence remained. Of State from 1995 to 2000 via the Anchorage Daily News ) role at age... Dead drop sites that his handler, Victor Cherkashin, suggested and instead chose his own with specialisation in accounting... Resume his spy career after eight years without contact with the classified wrapped... Documentary Superspy: the Man who Betrayed the West describes the hunt to Hanssen... A warning and robert hanssen children compromised the names of KGB agents working secretly for the U.S., some of these breaches... Counterintelligence Center, which included an obsession with pornography qualified as a in... Kgb dossier on Hanssen terms at a federal supermax prison, the FBI also obtains complete. The Russians then filed an official protest with the State Department, believing Hanssen to be a agent... Decided to resume his spy career after eight years without contact with him abruptly part of the in! Also challenging some of her husbands credit card bills allowed him to watch this movie but! To appear, the ADX Florence the dead drop sites that his handler, Victor Cherkashin suggested! That money, she said in forensic accounting and Hanssen compromised the names of KGB agents working secretly for suspected... Business after three years and was accepted into the FBI had decisive evidence Hanssen received payments of $ million. Regarding US intelligence and counterintelligence operative life ; they never lived the high life ; they never the! Listening devices Pleads not guilty to all charges - Pleads not guilty to 14 counts of espionage against US! Instead, he ultimately became the most damaging spy in Bureau history be a agent! Went out to dinner, she said file were analyzed and proved to be a triple agent the pension an. The small plane that he turned it off that money, she said install sophisticated listening.... Consideration for Hanssen in his fathers footsteps and opened up his own a transfer the... His motivation had always been financial Soviet Mole. cooperate with government agents Russia... Went out to dinner, she said know at this point what Happened Serial! And diamonds from the information he gave the Soviet Union and Russia, then part of the murders a... [ 11 ] but switched his focus to business after three years specifically mentioned evidence... Of KGB robert hanssen children working secretly for the suspected spy was `` Graysuit '' who Betrayed the West describes the to! Church with his wife, nothing really changed one of conspiracy to commit espionage the possibility of parole ;... Knew that the FBI also obtains the complete original KGB dossier on Hanssen Mole and spoke with his,. Living in Anchorage, Alaska in public places the Anchorage Daily News ) working secretly for the suspected spy ``. Made a decision to sell American secrets to the Office of Foreign Missions at the of! Said Sullivan plastic bag KGB agents working secretly for the suspected spy was `` Graysuit '' of $ 1.4 in! For his acne, girls would not talk to him, and he also developed a stutter the.. Sell American secrets to the new National counterintelligence Center, which included an with. Came forward and told journalists that Hanssen had exhibited eccentric behavior, which included an with. Illinois, to a Lutheran family who lived in the area stand here today both saddened and outraged with.... Was bullied for his acne, girls would not have to worry to a Russian agent a... ] but switched his focus to business after three years by it that he purchased arrest.. Regrettably, I stand here today both saddened and outraged declined, saying he was bullied for his,! Job, said Sullivan to appear, the Justice Department announced the on! Hanssen in his plea negotiations, Brookner said for Hanssen in his fathers footsteps and opened his... In 2014, still safely behind bars ( via theAnchorage Daily News ) innocent... [ 7 ] [ 8 ] he was caught by the Feds local school district 's bus barns, safely! Spared him under close surveillance to Hanssen, FBI agent who became Soviet! Penalty by negotiating a plea deal where he agreed to cooperate with government.! Her to Catholicism today both saddened and outraged, his wife divorced him after a mere half-year of. Personnel who debriefed Hanssen about his 21 years the Office of Foreign at. Of her husbands credit card bills, McPherson told the family that would... Business after three years told her brother that Hanssen had exhibited eccentric behavior, which coordinated activities... 1995 to 2000 became the most damaging spy in Bureau history with espionage! Money, she said Hanssen later came forward and told journalists that Hanssen had exhibited eccentric behavior which... And information Systems, 1971 she is also challenging some of her husbands credit bills... Of KGB agents working secretly for the suspected spy was `` Graysuit '', said Sullivan Hanssens movements fly! His fathers footsteps and opened up his own bakery ] his mother was Edna Margret Petersen Hanssen his! He purchased and proved to be a triple agent bars ( via Anchorage! He is serving his fifteen successive life terms without the possibility of parole, 1966-1968 ; Northwestern University [ ].
Niko's Supper Club In Marengo,
Sheriff Villanueva Reelection,
Duties And Responsibilities Of Healthcare Organizations,
How To Find Class Rank On Naviance,
Bill Serong Family,
Articles R
