The criminal conduct alleged represents the most traitorous actions imaginable against a country governed by the Rule of Law. Did you encounter any technical issues? 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. 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. 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. He was arrested in 2001 and sentenced to life without parole in federal prison in 2002 Born: April 14, 1944 in Chicago, Illinois Education: Knox College and Northwestern University, where he received an MBA When these two KGB officials returned to Moscow, they were tried and convicted on espionage charges and executed. 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. Bonnie Hanssens first public statements on the case reveal both her anxiety over her husbands actions and her sense of relief over the fact that she and her six children will retain an estimated $39,000 a year from his government pension. This story has been shared 149,018 times. A self-taught computer expert, Hansen often encrypted his stolen files on wafer-thin disks. 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. (CNN) -- While he acted the patriot and family man, FBI agent Robert Hanssen was selling his country's most classified . The affidavit alleges that Hanssen voluntarily became an agent of the KGB in 1985 while assigned to the intelligence division at the FBI field office in New York City as supervisor of a foreign counterintelligence squad. The investigation of Hanssen was conducted by the FBI in partnership with the CIA, the Department of State, and, of course, the Justice Department. In May 2002, Hanssen was sentenced to life in prison. 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. Regrettably, I stand here today both saddened and outraged. This time, Mrs. Hanssen insisted that they find a cheaper place to live than Scarsdale. However, even though Hansen would go to church with his wife, nothing really changed. 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. agent in Chicago. This is particularly timely as we move to the next generation of automation to support the FBIs information infrastructure. Robert Hanssen betrayed the FBI. He and his wife relocated to Anchorage, Alaska in 1967. They had two children together and were respected members of the community. 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. 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. Although his name was not specifically mentioned, evidence in the file pointed to Hanssen, who was put under close surveillance. As it turned out, Hanssen had just been spotted by agents driving at a snails pace past the sign for Foxstone Park in Vienna, Va. A feature film called "Breach" was released in 2007. 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. But Thursday, Bonnie Hanssen issued a statement through her attorney revealing the torment that the case has caused. In it he betrayed three Soviet officers who were working for the Central Intelligence Agency and the bureau. Robert J. McNamara is a history expert and former magazine journalist. A few years later, they moved to Anchorage, Alaska, and had two children. A Justice Department spokesman, citing the inspector general's continuing review of the Hanssen case, refused to comment. July 6, 2001 - Pleads guilty to 15 counts of espionage and conspiracy in exchange for the government not seeking the death penalty. While Darla suspected that he had been frequenting prostitutes, she had no idea of the literal manhunt he conducted. 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. Home; Features; Services; About; Contact; Login; Get Free Demo He later wrote to his KGB handler, speaking about the severity with which U.S. laws punishes his alleged actions, and acknowledging I know far better than most what minefields are laid and the risks.. 42-67.) By the time O'Neill slipped into the car on that fateful Sunday morning in 2001, an FBI operation was already underway to . His father, Howard, had reportedly belittled, bullied, and berated the boy from childhood to his college years at Knox College, 200 miles away from his home in Chicago. He betrayed his country. Press Release - Veteran FBI Agent Arrested and Charged with Espionage, FBI.gov is an official site of the U.S. Department of Justice. Over the next few years, she said, she questioned him about whether he was working with the Russians once more. He turned off the highway onto a side street, trying to persuade Hanssen that it was faster even though, as he writes, anyone who has lived in the DC area for two weeks could call bullst.. After being released, he met his second wife, Darla Henrichsen, and the pair got married in 1963. We've received your submission. As they outranked him, he didnt have much of a choice. In order to put the double-crosser away forever, ONeill would need to put his life on the line again. A Warner Bros. Agents find a bag nearby containing $50,000 that they believe is Hanssens payment for the documents. Why is it so important to take [that] car? Hanssen demanded to know. 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. 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. She would then use this money to run her house and support her children. Mrs. Hanssen said she demanded that he repay the $30,000. Updated The Soviets, suspicious of being lured into a trap, demanded to meet him. Follow. The purloined PalmPilot gave the FBI the final piece of the puzzle: Hanssens next meeting with the Russians was scheduled for the following weekend. Why are we still having these debates? She is also challenging some of her husbands credit card bills. https://www.thoughtco.com/robert-hanssen-4587832 (accessed March 1, 2023). Hanssens espionage activities began in 1985. "Robert Hanssen, FBI Agent Who Became a Soviet Mole." Robert was born in 1939 in Iowa to Danish immigrants Christian and Edna Hansen. He pleaded guilty to 15 counts of espionage in July 2001 and was sentenced to prison without the possibility of parole. For these reasons, the FBI learned of his true identity before the Russians; they are learning of it only now. 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. For a time he planned to become a dentist, but eventually wound up obtaining an MBA and becoming an accountant. In 1985 he approached the Soviets again and offered valuable secrets. Judge Webster and anyone he selects to assist him will have complete access and whatever resources are necessary to complete this task. 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. On this day in history (February 18), one of the most famous and damaging insiders within the FBI, Robert Philip Hanssen was arrested. Our joint efforts over the last several years and specifically in this case should give pause to those contemplating betrayal of the Nations trust. It wasnt money, thats for sure, she said, noting that the family lived in a modest home with three mortgages and drove older-model cars as they scrimped to send their children to private Catholic schools. He lobbied his Russian masters to buy him a newer PalmPilot, with wireless Internet capabilities, which would allow the rapid transmission of encrypted messages. She agreed to describe the results, Ms. Brookner said, because they exonerated Mrs. Hanssen. Since he held key counterintelligence positions, he had authorized access to classified information. By February 2001, about 300 personnel were working the investigation and monitoring Hanssen. 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