Even without knowing who he was or where he worked, Hanssens value to the Russians was clear both by the substantial sums of money paid and the prestigious awards given to their own agents for Hanssens operation. Friends of Hanssen later came forward and told journalists that Hanssen had exhibited eccentric behavior, which included an obsession with pornography. During his 15 years as an alleged Russian mole, Robert Hanssen had access to many vital . Enraged to the point that his fist was clenched in a tight ball, Hanssen ran through his usual list of insults Idiot! I said, No way we are taking your beat-up, boring, outdated old Ford Taurus to the DIA. But money is tight, she said, and the former housewife has taken a teaching job at her daughters school in Virginia. July 6, 2001 - Pleads guilty to 15 counts of espionage and conspiracy in exchange for the government not seeking the death penalty. 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. A bakery owner by trade, Hansen was also an avid outdoorsman and. Troubled by the incident, Bonnie Hanssen made her husband speak with a Catholic priest, who directed him to contribute money to Mother Teresa, the Catholic nun who ran a Calcutta charitable organization, as a form of penance, Brookner said. The one thing the father and son would eventually have in common is their interest in hunting. This would be the first of many heart-stopping requests from Alleman. Robert P. Bucciarelli, a priest affiliated with Opus Dei, a conservative Catholic organization the Hanssens had joined several years earlier. By the time O'Neill slipped into the car on that fateful Sunday morning in 2001, an FBI operation was already underway to . According to the University of the Free State's "A Psychobiography of Robert Hansen: The 'Butcher Baker,'" Hansen was no different. The answer shocked ONeill, then 26. in Chemistry, 1966; Attended Northwestern University Dental School, 1966-1968; Northwestern University, M.B.A. in Accounting and Information Systems, 1971. 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. But in 1999, while assigned as an FBI liaison with the State Department, he once again began selling American secrets. Make him angry. The past few weeks have uncovered many allegations of FBI agent Robert Hanssen's betrayals: unmasking U.S. agents working in Russia and exposing a multimillion dollar American . After graduating from a public high school, Hanssen attended Knox College in Illinois, studying chemistry and Russian. 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. Under Mr. Hanssen's plea bargain, she will receive the survivor's part of his bureau pension, as well as the right to keep the home. He worked as a policeman in Chicago for three years and was placed on an elite unit that investigated corruption. The wildest part? 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. Home; Features; Services; About; Contact; Login; Get Free Demo had too readily accepted Mrs. Hanssen's version of events. 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. For a time he planned to become a dentist, but eventually wound up obtaining an MBA and becoming an accountant. Robert was born in 1939 in Iowa to Danish immigrants Christian and Edna Hansen. He worked as a source for the USSR and subsequently The Russian Federation. He and his wife relocated to Anchorage, Alaska in 1967. Written by on 27 febrero, 2023. 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 feature film called "Breach" was released in 2007. Classic animal aggression, ONeill writes. Hanssen was born in Chicago, Illinois on April 18, 1944 to a family of German and Polish origins. Robert Hanssen (left), a 25-year career FBI man, pleaded guilty to, among other charges, 13 counts of espionage for Russia. 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. (They took Hanssens Ford and the plan to search his car was dropped for the time being.). 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. They bought a modest, three-bedroom home in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., north of New York City. Stahl reports that Hanssen invited his best friend to watch him. Suit David Huband Photographer Catherine Burdon Agent Nece Take your pick. I left that memo in your inbox, ONeill replied. Apparently, even though Hansen was naturally a left-handed person, he was always forced to use his right hand, making his speech problems worse. Meanwhile, the FBI had discovered medical tape and chalk Hanssens tools for signaling the Russians in the car, along with classified documents that had no business being there. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. 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. In this article, Hansens dynamic with his own family is discussed to give you a better insight into the life of the now-deceased murderer. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/robert-hanssen-4587832. The couple, however, did not have a great relationship. On February 18, 2001, Hanssen was arrested at a park in northern Virginia after he had placed a package at a dead drop location. Hanssen, a former counterintelligence supervisor for the FBI, pleaded guilty last week to 15 espionage-related charges and admitted that he had sold the Russians thousands of pages of national security secrets in exchange for $1.4 million in cash and diamonds. One reason for her frustration may be that some government officials were apparently not convinced of her story. Robert Hanssen is accused of spying for the Soviet Union and is awaiting trial. 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. Today, Mrs. Hanssen is teaching at a Catholic school in suburban Virginia and is living in the house she shared with her husband and their six children. On Feb. 18, 2001, Hanssen left a package presumably full of classified documents wrapped in trash bags underneath a bridge in Foxstone Park, then placed a piece of tape at a nearby location, indicating the drop had been made. Today hes a national-security strategist for the cyber-security company Carbon Black and runs his own investigative and security-services firm. Mr. Hanssen agreed, and his wife, pregnant with their fourth child, was relieved. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The FBI also obtains the complete original KGB dossier on Hanssen. 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.. In 1978, Hanssen was transferred to the FBI office in New York City and was assigned to a counterintelligence post. He happens to be Catholic. On 18 February 2001, Robert Hanssen was arrested and charged with committing espionage on behalf of the intelligence services of the former Soviet Union and its successors. The Soviets, suspicious of being lured into a trap, demanded to meet him. The plea bargain allows Bonnie Hanssen to receive about 55% of Hanssens pension, which will total an estimated $39,000 per year. The double agent was arrested (above right) in 2001 by the FBI after leaving intel for them under a bridge in the park. 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. A few years later, they moved to Anchorage, Alaska, and had two children. But from the vantage of the media, "happens to be" applies only to Pollard: Hanssen is fast-becoming known as "the Catholic spy.". The investigation of Hanssen was conducted by the FBI in partnership with the CIA, the Department of State, and, of course, the Justice Department. Is sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. She visits her husband in prison regularly. 1991 - Breaks off relations with the KGB. The test lasted several hours. Children: Lisa, Greg, Mark, John "Jack," Sue and Jane. His tale was also made into the 2007 movie Breach.. This story has been shared 106,031 times. A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. While other spies were still chasing after paper files, Hanssen had entered the digital world. The complaint, however, does not allege any compromises by him at the State Department. Thanks for contacting us. Another government official confirmed that Mrs. Hanssen was given a polygraph test and said she had passed it. (The bureau wanted someone pretty green so as not to arouse suspicion.) They were finishing just as Hanssen texted that he was on his way back. Christian owned a bakery and would make his son work for long hours as a kid. 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. Id say insanely loyal, Hanssen wrote. Robert Philip Hanssen, a 27 year veteran of the FBI, was a double agent. 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. 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. After being released, he met his second wife, Darla Henrichsen, and the pair got married in 1963. By Sherri Day. In order to put the double-crosser away forever, ONeill would need to put his life on the line again. Agents find a bag nearby containing $50,000 that they believe is Hanssens payment for the documents. In about 1985, after they had moved back to Washington and Mr. Hanssen was working at F.B.I. Father Bucciarelli came up with a plan to save Mr. Hanssen from prison, Mrs. Hanssen told investigators during the polygraph test, her lawyer said. As part of that review, the inspector general asked Mrs. Hanssen to take a polygraph test, just days before the sentencing. As O'Neill explained to the audience and often mentions in his book, Hanssen was ahead of his time. 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 purloined PalmPilot gave the FBI the final piece of the puzzle: Hanssens next meeting with the Russians was scheduled for the following weekend. She is also challenging some of her husbands credit card bills. The criminal conduct alleged represents the most traitorous actions imaginable against a country governed by the Rule of Law. The Spy Who Loved Spying A good spy needs a good cover, and Hanssen had one of the best. McNamara, Robert. Imbecile! There is insanity in all the answers.. In the early 1980s, Hanssen was transferred to FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. 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