As Director of the FBI, I am proud of the courageous men and women of the FBI who each day make enormous sacrifices in serving their country. A bakery owner by trade, Hansen was also an avid outdoorsman and. Opus Dei and Hanssen: Masters of Paradox . 42-67.) It is also one which can turn ingenious quickly, like an idiot savant, once convinced of a goal.. May 10, 2002 Posted: 11:59 AM EDT (1559 GMT) Former FBI agent Robert Hanssen. He pled. He could sit in his office and shut the door. Today's protagonist, Robert Hanssen, was an FBI agent who served his country for 20 years. His troubles with the law continued in Anchorage as well. According to . After work each day, ONeill would secretly meet with his actual boss, Special Agent Kate Alleman, recalling everything Hanssen said and did which, as it turned out, would be nothing pleasant. Therefore, after he was given a 461-year sentence for his crimes, she chose to divorce him. ThoughtCo. He married Bernadette Wauck in 1968 and, influenced by his devout Catholic wife, he converted to Catholicism. The premise of The Frozen Ground is that a state trooper, played by Nicolas Cage, teams up with a surviving victim of a serial killerto bring him down. Yet some investigators believed anger about how his father treated him as a child triggered a need to rebel against authority. Hanssen pled guilty to 15 counts of espionage on July 6, 2001. 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, in full blowhard mode, got back in the car and the two took the slow route as he lectured ONeill. An FBI arrest team moved into position at Foxstone Park, a location where Hanssen had been spotted before by FBI surveillance. While not identifying himself, he was able to gain their trust by initially providing information which the Soviets found both credible and valuable. 's New York field office. robert hanssen childrenjennifer nicholson mark norfleet 27 februari, 2023 . By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. ', Before I could blink, [Hanssen] had the lapels of my sport coat twisted in his fists and curled me up to eye level, leaving my toes tipping for balance on the floor. Follow. Read more Print length 352 pages May 31, 2001 - Pleads not guilty to all charges. Did you see it?. But even as her life regains some sense of normalcy, Bonnie Hanssen struggles to understand the havoc that the last few months have wrought, Brookner said. Mrs. Hanssen insists she never knew about her husband's second, far longer and more damaging stint as a spy and never saw anything that made her suspect that he had taken up with the Russians again. 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. For these reasons, the FBI learned of his true identity before the Russians; they are learning of it only now. Robert P. Bucciarelli, a priest affiliated with Opus Dei, a conservative Catholic organization the Hanssens had joined several years earlier. Twenty years ago today, Hanssen was arrested on February 18, 2001 when he was . Hanssen was born in Chicago, Illinois on April 18, 1944 to a family of German and Polish origins. On May 10, 2002, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole. He became an agent in 1976, and spent two years working in the Indianapolis, Indiana, field office. 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.. Hanssen was set to retire, so investigators had to move fast. Alleman explained to ONeill that the smoking gun would be an actual information drop for the Russians. Instead, the 57-year-old defendant will be sentenced to life in prison without parole if he honors his pledge to tell the government all the secrets behind his two-decade career as a Russian spy. Another government official confirmed that Mrs. Hanssen was given a polygraph test and said she had passed it. The Justice Department's inspector general has been examining the F.B.I. (2020, August 28). Special Agent Don Sullivan, a squad supervisor at the FBIs Washington Field Office at the time, volunteered to replace Hanssen. Only David Wise could tell the astonishing, full story, and he does so, in masterly style, in Spy. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/robert-hanssen-4587832. 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. He has never answered that question for anyone. December 2000 - The FBI begins surveillance of Hanssen. robert hanssen children. But money is. 's investigation of Mr. Hanssen, the former F.B.I. As a young man, he seemed to be seeking a way out of the blue-collar life represented by his boyhood neighborhood. 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. Among the files was a letter from Hanssen to the Russians arranging to meet. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. As they took him into custody, Hanssen turned to one and said, What took you so long?. The Russian had obtained Hanssen's KGB file. Hanssen's guilty plea involved 15 counts of espionage and conspiracy. Two and a half years ago, the FBI arrested Robert Hanssen, a 22-year veteran of the bureau, for selling secrets to Russia. You can call me sir, or boss, Hanssen said. Agents find a bag nearby containing $50,000 that they believe is Hanssens payment for the documents. The full extent of the damage done is yet unknown because no accurate damage assessment could be conducted without jeopardizing the investigation. children: Greg Hanssen, Jane Hanssen, John Hanssen, Lisa Hanssen, Mark Hanssen, Sue Hanssen Born Country: United States Spies American Men City: Chicago, Illinois Notable Alumni: Knox College (Illinois) U.S. State: Illinois More Facts Recommended Lists: American People Kellogg School Of Management Male Spies American Spies Aries Men 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. A self-taught computer expert, Hansen often encrypted his stolen files on wafer-thin disks. McNamara, Robert. At the end of the Cold War, Hanssen sold classified secrets to the Soviet and Russian intelligence services. It was not a very demanding job, said Sullivan. In January 2001, Hanssen moved into a small office in FBI Headquarters secretly outfitted with surveillance cameras and microphones. The one thing the father and son would eventually have in common is their interest in hunting. by Tammy A. DiNicola. Were you in my office? Hanssen leaned over my desk, his face inches from mine. Anything different goes against biology.. The Spy Who Loved Spying A good spy needs a good cover, and Hanssen had one of the best. in Chemistry, 1966; Attended Northwestern University Dental School, 1966-1968;. Described as. (I have come about as close as I ever want to come to sacrificing myself to help you, and I get silence. They were finishing just as Hanssen texted that he was on his way back. 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. 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. I would like to ask him why he did it, ONeill told The Post. We believe it was exceptionally grave. The FBI entrusted him with some of the most sensitive secrets of the United States Government and instead of being humbled by this honor, Hanssen has allegedly abused and betrayed that trust. Its the one scrap of power hes kept for himself.. The Hanssens are active members of Opus Dei, a conservative Catholic group. 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. Here was ONeills opportunity to push Hanssen to his limits. A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. He and his wife relocated to Anchorage, Alaska in 1967. Should I get him to confess?. 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. 1999 - Resumes spying, this time for the Russian Intelligence agency. But in 1999, while assigned as an FBI liaison with the State Department, he once again began selling American secrets. 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 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. You know hes armed and Im not. 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. One notable example was the information that the Americans had dug a tunnel under the Russian embassy in Washington to install sophisticated listening devices. I dont think there was anybody more shocked by all this, Brookner said. Pressed to explain what he was doing, she said, he acknowledged that he was dealing with the Russians. Id say insanely loyal, Hanssen wrote. The evidence against him was overwhelming, and to avoid the death penalty, Hanssen confessed and agreed to be debriefed by American intelligence officials. He then applied and was accepted into the FBI. His assistant, Eric ONeill, was tasked with keeping investigators apprised of Hanssens movements. agent in Chicago. Robert Hanssen is a former FBI agent notorious for committing treason and selling state secrets to the Soviets (later the Russians). ONeill, 46, left the FBI in May 2001. In order to put the double-crosser away forever, ONeill would need to put his life on the line again. Hanssen, a 56-year-old counterintelligence specialist, was in the process of giving information to his Russian contacts in exchange for $50,000 in cash, FBI Director Louis Freeh said today. Home; Features; Services; About; Contact; Login; Get Free Demo 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. 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. Out of all the lingering scandals in Washington,. The US government took the death penalty off the table in exchange for Hanssens full cooperation. 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. Robert P. Hanssen, the former F.B.I. She agreed to describe the results, Ms. Brookner said, because they exonerated Mrs. Hanssen. February 18, 2001 - Is arrested in a Virginia park after making a drop of classified documents. 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. Mr. Hanssen agreed, and his wife, pregnant with their fourth child, was relieved. ''Most of the people who think ill of me don't know me. A former FBI Supervisory Special Agen. They had two children together and were respected members of the community. Hanssen was an FBI agent for 25 years, but he was also a spy for the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation . In school, he was bullied for his acne, girls would not talk to him, and he also developed a stutter. 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. Our hearts go out to them. 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When Eric ONeills supervisor turned up unannounced at his Washington, DC-area home early on a Sunday morning, the still-groggy FBI employee was perplexed. He betrayed his children. In short, the trusted insider betrayed his trust without detection. Literally, Hanssens colleagues and coworkers at the FBI conducted this investigation and did so quietly, securely and without hesitation. Today in Security. 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 have hurt so many deeply." Hanssen, who began working with Soviet military intelligence in 1979, was. Heres a look at the life of convicted spy Robert Hanssen. At one point Hanssen spoke to a Russian agent over a pay phone, but they generally relied on placing signals in public places. 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. Imbecile! ''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. Never have we seen such a media fixation on any person accused of a crime whose religion bears . (The bureau wanted someone pretty green so as not to arouse suspicion.) As Hanssen grew up, his father was reportedly verbally abusive to him, often ranting that he would never succeed in life. By ABC News. Two were executed. 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. 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. After being released, he met his second wife, Darla Henrichsen, and the pair got married in 1963. They were deported and arrested. He reportedly told his supervisors in 1990 that he suspected that Robert Hanssen was a spy after his own wife told him that, during a visit to the Hanssen home, Mrs. Hanssen told her she had become alarmed after discovering $5,000. 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.) Without the current unprecedented level of trust and cooperation between the CIA and FBI, making this case would not have been possible. One reason for her frustration may be that some government officials were apparently not convinced of her story. He used encrypted communications, dead drops, and other clandestine methods to provide information to the KGB and its successor agency, the SVR. Father Bucciarelli came up with a plan to save Mr. Hanssen from prison, Mrs. Hanssen told investigators during the polygraph test, her lawyer said. Its difficult, but its better than seeing him put to death.. The Soviets, suspicious of being lured into a trap, demanded to meet him. The Department of Justice described his espionage as one of the worst in United States History. I live in Dallas, TX and growing up I was always the kid with "her nose in a book". He worked as a policeman in Chicago for three years and was placed on an elite unit that investigated corruption. 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. But Thursday, Bonnie Hanssen issued a statement through her attorney revealing the torment that the case has caused. He betrayed his best friend, offering him up to the KGB. One day, she said, she found her husband scurrying to cover up some papers in the basement of their home in Scarsdale, N.Y. At their very first meeting, ONeill reached out his hand and began to introduce himself. In 1978, he and his growing family of three children (and eventually six) relocated to New York City when the FBI transferred him to its field office there. The Robert Hanssen Story" was released in 2002. 1980 - Begins working for the counterintelligence unit, focusing on the Soviet Union. I scooped the devices into my arms and sprinted for the stairway, writes ONeill, who refers to this as his one true James Bond moment. The criminal conduct alleged represents the most traitorous actions imaginable against a country governed by the Rule of Law. Heart Of Darkness. 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. Blood rushed to my face. 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. If he gave the money from the Soviets to charity, and promised not to spy again, he would have the priest's blessing not to report the matter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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. 1979 - Begins spying for the Soviet Union. 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? Hanssen made the donation to a charity affiliated with Mother Teresa, and cut off contact with the Soviets for the next few years. She is also challenging some of her husbands credit card bills. January 30, 2003 / 4:50 PM / CBS. Robert Hanssen is a family man, devout Catholic, career FBI agent, and the most damaging spy in American history. He worked as a source for the USSR and subsequently The Russian Federation. Hanssen was suspected of leaking critical US intelligence. Why are we still having these debates? Hanssen is a Special Agent of the FBI with a long career in counterintelligence. 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. Robert Hanssen betrayed the FBI. 1972 - Joins the Chicago Police Department. When these two KGB officials returned to Moscow, they were tried and convicted on espionage charges and executed. The purloined PalmPilot gave the FBI the final piece of the puzzle: Hanssens next meeting with the Russians was scheduled for the following weekend. Hanssen had freely expressed his views on marriage before, once telling ONeill: Your genetic code demands that you make money and provide for the family. He began to make small payments over several years to a charity affiliated with Mother Teresa's Catholic organization, moving the family close to bankruptcy, Mrs. Hanssen told the Justice Department investigators. He was Amazon.com's first-ever history editor and has bylines in New York, the Chicago Tribune, and other national outlets. Biography of Vladimir Putin: From KGB Agent to Russian President, The Biggest Donald Trump Scandals (So Far), President Truman's Executive Order 9835 Demanded Loyalty, Biography of Louis Armstrong, Expert Trumpeter and Entertainer, Biography of Alger Hiss: Government Official Accused of Spying, Biography of Mata Hari, Infamous World War I Spy, Haym Salomon, Spy and Financier of the American Revolution, Biography of Virginia Hall, WWII's Most Wanted Spy, Biography of Fred Hampton, Black Panther Party Leader, Biography of Robert Kennedy, US Attorney General, Presidential Candidate, John Dillinger's Life as Public Enemy Number 1, The Most Important Inventions of the Industrial Revolution. I told him I thought it was insane.''. I said, No way we are taking your beat-up, boring, outdated old Ford Taurus to the DIA. Bokhan. But she was questioned in the polygraph test on her knowledge of Mr. Hanssen's later spying career. She visits her husband in prison regularly. A TV movie called Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story was released in 2002. So Alleman instead asked ONeill to drive Hanssen to a meeting at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in an FBI vehicle that way, she could have someone search Hanssens car while he was out of the office. But something went wrong and when the two men showed up in the parking garage, the FBI car wasnt there. 1981 - Is assigned to the Intelligence Division at FBI headquarters in DC. Most of all, he betrayed himself. 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. Authorities say Hanssen was driven by greed, but Brookner rejected that assertion. While Darla suspected that he had been frequenting prostitutes, she had no idea of the literal manhunt he conducted. The complaint, however, does not allege any compromises by him at the State Department. Anyone can read what you share. She would then use this money to run her house and support her children. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. He pleaded guilty to 13 counts of espionage plus two related counts and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. headquarters in a senior counterintelligence post, he told his wife that he had paid off the debt, she told the Justice Department. After a few years working as an accountant, he decided to enter law enforcement. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Joining the FBI in the height of the Cold War, Robert Hanssen dreamed of the exciting life of a spy. Interestingly, Hansen got married twice. One might propose that I am either insanely brave or quite insane. 1981 - Hanssens wife catches him with classified documents and convinces him to stop spying. Abcarian: Mask mandates? In fact, when his father passed away, Hansen inherited 17 guns from him as well. Apparently, even though Hansen was naturally a left-handed person, he was always forced to use his right hand, making his speech problems worse. https://www.thoughtco.com/robert-hanssen-4587832 (accessed March 1, 2023). I raised my chin and met his eyes, puffed out my chest and stood with my feet shoulder-width apart. COVID origins? The tension would not lessen over the next few days, with Hanssen telling ONeill he was a worthless clerk.. 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. In fact, he had already betrayed one of the United States' most important agents: Gen. Dmitri Polyakov of the G.R.U. His tale was also made into the 2007 movie Breach.. NOTE: The following is an excerpt from an article by Lee Penn, "Opus Dei & the Da Vinci Code, part II", published in the Journal of the Spiritual Counterfeits Project [SCP] (Vol. One day in February, when Hanssen was away, ONeill took a risk and snuck into his boss office. He spied for the Soviets . Just then the door buzzed, indicating Hanssens return. He wanted to interview Hanssen for the book but was refused. In May 2002, Hanssen was sentenced to life in prison. 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. His Father, Howard Hanssen, was an officer with the Chicago police department and his mother, Vivian Hanssen, was a . He had opportunity. In 1985 he approached the Soviets again and offered valuable secrets. McNamara, Robert. I left that memo in your inbox, ONeill replied. 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. His target would be Robert Hanssen, a 25-year FBI veteran that the bureau suspected might be the most treacherous and damaging double agent in US history. 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. He also expressed his trademark annoyance. The answer shocked ONeill, then 26. 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. 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