He betrayed his best friend, offering him up to the KGB. 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. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Bonnie Hanssen said Hanssen's 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."We don't know at this point what happened to that money," she said. The FBI believed this was his signal site where the Russians would signal when they were ready to receive his intel. Its the one scrap of power hes kept for himself.. 1991 - Breaks off relations with the KGB. He was en route to a third spot to pick up his payment of $50,000 when he was stopped by screeching FBI vans and a slew of armed agents. 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. Couldnt this have waited till Monday? he asked. Among the files was a letter from Hanssen to the Russians arranging to meet. Or, rather, one person does. On the drive back, ONeill tried to play it cool even though he was riddled with fear that Hanssens car would not be at the office when they returned. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. While not identifying himself, he was able to gain their trust by initially providing information which the Soviets found both credible and valuable. Hansen even notched up a few local hunting records. Breaking her five-month silence, the wife of FBI spy Robert Philip Hanssen said Thursday that she deeply regrets the damage her husband has caused the United States and believes it is appropriate that he spend the rest of his life in prison. Opus Dei and Hanssen: Masters of Paradox . The plea bargain spared Hanssen the death penalty. 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. and finally hopped out of the car, determined to walk back to the office. He then applied and was accepted into the FBI. Friends of Hanssen later came forward and told journalists that Hanssen had exhibited eccentric behavior, which included an obsession with pornography. Id answer neither. In fact, he had already betrayed one of the United States' most important agents: Gen. Dmitri Polyakov of the G.R.U. In it he betrayed three Soviet officers who were working for the Central Intelligence Agency and the bureau. In court proceedings the government stated that Hanssen had been paid more than $1.4 million during his spying career, most of which he never actually received, as it was held for him in a Russian bank. I dont think there was anybody more shocked by all this, Brookner said. Out of all the lingering scandals in Washington,. Written by on 27 febrero, 2023. 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. After his first wife left him, Hansen was released from prison in late 1962. The complaint alleges that Hanssen conspired to and did commit espionage for Russia and the former Soviet Union. Robert Hanssen moments after being arrested. Hes also a sign of Mexicos healthcare crisis, Black residents of Jackson, Miss., blast plans by white-dominated Legislature for more state control, Spain approves menstrual leave, teen abortion and trans laws. The arrest of Robert Hanssen by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on charges of counterespionage represents a major crisis for the US intelligence apparatus. They never lived the high life; they never even went out to dinner, she said. But from the vantage of the media, "happens to be" applies only to Pollard: Hanssen is fast-becoming known as "the Catholic spy.". Hanssen was the son of a police officer. Playing to Hanssens ego, the underling, a newlywed, said he needed relationship advice about his wife wanting to wait to have children. Updated May 10, 2002 - Is sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. According to . Each time, her lawyer said Mrs. Hanssen told investigators during the polygraph test, he would deny it and act as if he was hurt that she did not trust him. Since becoming Director over seven years ago, I have administered the FBI oath to each graduating class of Special Agents at the FBI Academy. One day, she said, she found her husband scurrying to cover up some papers in the basement of their home in Scarsdale, N.Y. She would then use this money to run her house and support her children. ONeill quickly replaced the items and ran out of the office. The first time around, his wife divorced him after a mere half-year because of his incarceration for arson in Iowa. Investigators learned that Hanssen was set to make a dead drop on February 18, 2001. 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. But, she said, she was determined to hold her husband to the deal. He was enrolled in a "children's club" overseen by the organization when he was seven years old, and it wasn't his first experience with Opus Dei. Serial killer Robert Hansen confessed to killing 17 women in Alaska over a 12-year span, all while married with two children. I would like to ask him why he did it, ONeill told The Post. He looked the quintessential suburban dad, devoted to his wife and six kids, working a government job to. He betrayed his God. As part of that review, the inspector general asked Mrs. Hanssen to take a polygraph test, just days before the sentencing. His Russian contacts and Hanssen were highly trained in espionage techniques and were able to work together without ever meeting. Now she says she has chosen to speak out at last because she wants to answer one question she has heard dozens of times: How could Robert P. Hanssen's wife of 34 years not have known he was a spy? A feature film called "Breach" was released in 2007. By the time Hanssen and ONeill returned to the office, things seemed normal. Sunday night the FBI arrested Robert Philip Hanssen who has been charged with committing espionage. Take your pick. Agents find a bag nearby containing $50,000 that they believe is Hanssens payment for the documents. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/robert-hanssen-4587832. We've received your submission. 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. 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. He compromised the security of his country and put the lives of colleagues in danger. 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. I said, No way we are taking your beat-up, boring, outdated old Ford Taurus to the DIA. The lawyer, who watched the polygraph session through a one-way mirror, took notes and discussed the results with the Justice Department's polygraphers, she said. Robert P. Hanssen, the former F.B.I. This time, Mrs. Hanssen insisted that they find a cheaper place to live than Scarsdale. Suit David Huband Photographer Catherine Burdon Agent Nece Senior FBI officials described him as . 1972 - Joins the Chicago Police Department. As alleged, he did so using a variety of sophisticated means of communication, encryption, and dead drops. (2020, August 28). 1981 - Hanssens wife catches him with classified documents and convinces him to stop spying. During his second round of dealing with Russian agents, Hanssen was much more cautious. Finally, he warned: The US can be errantly likened to a powerfully built but retarded child, potentially dangerous, but young, immature and easily manipulated. Ms. Brookner, who arranged the interview, insisted that Mrs. Hanssen not be questioned about revelations concerning her husband's sexual obsessions. by Tammy A. DiNicola. Furthermore, she supported her husband when he was first incarcerated for theft, and then for abducting and sexually abusing a housewife and a prostitute (although the rape charge concerning the latter was dropped when he pleaded guilty.) Before getting caught in 2001 and sentenced to life in prison, he sold thousands of pages of sensitive material to the Soviet Union and ruined massive U.S. intelligence plans. 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. Hanssen was suspected of leaking critical US intelligence. A feature film called Breach was released in 2007. On May 10, 2002, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole. As they took him into custody, Hanssen turned to one and said, What took you so long?. 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. 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. 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. Hansen even followed in his fathers footsteps and opened up his own bakery. February 18, 2001 - Is arrested in a Virginia park after making a drop of classified documents. Intelligence. 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. Heart Of Darkness. All Rights Reserved. Robert Philip Hanssen, a 27 year veteran of the FBI, was a double agent. Regrettably, I stand here today both saddened and outraged. Still, he was not identified as a spy. While other spies were still chasing after paper files, Hanssen had entered the digital world. 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. Expert interviews recount Hanssen's life, how he stayed hidden for over 20 years, and the events leading to his arrest. Marriage: Bernadette Bonnie (Wauck) Hanssen (August 10, 1968-present), Children: Lisa, Greg, Mark, John Jack, Sue and Jane, Education: Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, A.B. John Cusack plays the villain in the movie, and if youre curious to know, let me tell you that the story is inspired by the serial killer Robert Hansen. 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. Mrs. Hanssen said she demanded that he repay the $30,000. The wildest part? He betrayed his country. January 12, 1976 - Joins the FBI as a special agent. Accused FBI spy Hanssen cuts deal. WASHINGTON -- Robert Hanssen, the longtime FBI agent accused of passing secrets to Moscow over 15 years, has reached a plea deal enabling him to avoid the death penalty in exchange for cooperating with investigators. Director Louis Freeh discusses the arrest of veteran FBI agent Robert Philip Hanssen on spy charges. I always liked writing privately in journals, but writing publicly is new. 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