Follow. 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. Asked what Bonnie Hanssen thinks may have motivated her husband, Brookner said: Who knows? He visited an office of the Russian government's trading company and offered to spy. But Hanssen couldn't afford the lifestyle that he thought he deserved. In short, the trusted insider betrayed his trust without detection. His troubles with the law continued in Anchorage as well. Robert Hanssen, a church-going family man and FBI agent for 25 years, was actually working as a Soviet spy for well over 20 years. His growing family would need space, and Hanssen's vision of himself required that he provide for them while Bonnie managed the home and raised their children. 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. Hanssen, 56, was an FBI agent for 25 . Robert P. Bucciarelli, a priest affiliated with Opus Dei, a conservative Catholic organization the Hanssens had joined several years earlier. In this assignment, however, Hanssen did continue to have access to sensitive FBI information as he remained assigned to the FBIs National Security Division and routinely dealt with sensitive and classified matters. The underling had 15 minutes to arrange for a car from the FBI who, this time, didnt blow its shot. In October 1985, he volunteered to spy for the K.G.B., the Soviet intelligence agency, by sending an anonymous letter to a K.G.B. 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. Sun, Feb 12, 2023. . four in a bed contestant dies. Their goal was to catch Hanssen red handed in espionage. I always liked writing privately in journals, but writing publicly is new. After being released, he met his second wife, Darla Henrichsen, and the pair got married in 1963. McNamara, Robert. ONeills next assignment would put him right into the lions den. Instead, he ultimately became the most damaging spy in. But she was questioned in the polygraph test on her knowledge of Mr. Hanssen's later spying career. Hanssen took an oath 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, but he decided to violate that oath. I take solace and satisfaction, however, that the FBI succeeded in this investigation. 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. He could sit in his office and shut the door. Since he held key counterintelligence positions, he had authorized access to classified information. In hindsight, serial killers often have traits in common and show signs of their adult inclinations as children. While the risk that an employee of the United States Government will betray his country can never be eliminated, there must be more that the FBI can do to protect itself from such an occurrence. The investigation of Hanssen was conducted by the FBI in partnership with the CIA, the Department of State, and, of course, the Justice Department. 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. May 10, 2002. 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The crimes alleged are an affront not only to his fellow FBI employees but to the American people, not to mention the pain and suffering he has brought upon his family. Hanssen appeared to be a devoted anti-communist. FBI leadership decided Hanssen needed to be removed from his temporary position and brought back to FBI Headquarters. A TV movie called Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story was released in 2002. 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 . 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. Born in 1939 to a father who forced him to work long hours at the family bakery while subjecting him to ridicule and mockery and a mother who . Hanssen gave them the name of a Russian general, Dimitri Polyakov, who had been providing information to the Americans. We particularly appreciate the unhesitating leadership and support of Attorney General Ashcroft from the moment he took office. January 12, 2001 - Hanssen is reassigned from counterintelligence to an obscure office at FBI headquarters. He has never answered that question for anyone. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Gray Day: My Undercover Mission to Expose Americas First Cyber Spy, My boss records all the conversations in our office, China's secret police are actively hunting people on US soil, Cuomo mocks Biden over China spy balloon debacle, Biden, DOJ scrapping FBI China initiative led to more spying: security experts. This story has been shared 149,018 times. Robert Hanssen, in full Robert Philip Hanssen, (born April 18, 1944, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.), agent of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who was one of the Soviet Union 's and Russia's most valuable double agents and the most damaging spy ever to penetrate the FBI. For many years, the CIA and FBI have been aggressively engaged in a sustained analytical effort to identify foreign penetrations of the Intelligence Community. Robert Hanssen betrayed the FBI. 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. 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. 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. In May 2002, Hanssen was sentenced to life in prison. I would like to ask him why he did it, ONeill told The Post. '', She said her greatest ambition was to resume some form of normal life, adding, ''I would just like to disappear. His Father, Howard Hanssen, was an officer with the Chicago police department and his mother, Vivian Hanssen, was a . 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. As Hanssen walked back to his car, the arrest team rushed up and took him into custody. General Polyakov had been spying for the United States since the early 1960's, but soon after Mr. Hanssen told the Russians of this, General Polyakov was forced to retire and was later executed. None of the internal information or personnel security measures in place alerted those charged with internal security to his activities. He used encrypted communications, dead drops, and other clandestine methods to provide information to the KGB and its successor agency, the SVR. After five years working at the bureau as a ghost following suspects for a living he would be stepping out of the shadows: spying on someone in plain sight. 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. The bureau had not asked her to take a polygraph test after her husband's arrest in February 2001. 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. They were deported and arrested. In about 1985, after they had moved back to Washington and Mr. Hanssen was working at F.B.I. During his sessions with investigators, Hanssen claimed his motivation had always been financial. An FBI arrest team moved into position at Foxstone Park, a location where Hanssen had been spotted before by FBI surveillance. agent in Chicago. His Russian contacts and Hanssen were highly trained in espionage techniques and were able to work together without ever meeting. They never lived the high life; they never even went out to dinner, she said. 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. At their very first meeting, ONeill reached out his hand and began to introduce himself. Therefore, after he was given a 461-year sentence for his crimes, she chose to divorce him. By February 2001, about 300 personnel were working the investigation and monitoring Hanssen. This story has been shared 123,032 times. (CNN) -- While he acted the patriot and family man, FBI agent Robert Hanssen was selling his country's most classified . May 10, 2002 - Is sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. Why too much original content from Netflix is bad for subs 11-year-old reads aloud from 'pornographic' book he checked out from library at school board meeting, Influencer refuses to switch business class seats so family can sit together, Ousted Chicago mayor blames loss on racism, gender but not her tepid response to crime, Gisele Bndchen wants to try again and do better after Tom Brady split, Sam Levinson accused of turning The Weeknd show The Idol into rape fantasy, Scheana Shay tears up over former friend Stassi Schroeders pregnancy news, Good luck 'worming' your way out of this one, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry have first night out since bombshell 'Spare' released. 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 place alerted those charged with internal security to his activities test after her husband Brookner. 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