[63], According to USA Today, those who knew the Hanssens described them as a close family. Updated The couple married in 1968, and Hanssen converted from Lutheranism to his wife's Catholicism. In 1971 he earned his Master in Business Administration in accounting and information systems. 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. Hanssen claimed he was trying to connect a color printer to his computer but needed the password cracker to bypass the administrative password. McNamara, Robert. Without the current unprecedented level of trust and cooperation between the CIA and FBI, making this case would not have been possible. A few years later, they moved to Anchorage, Alaska, and had two children. Some promising suspects were cleared, and the mole hunt found other penetrations, such as CIA officer Harold James Nicholson. Before concluding, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet for the cooperation and assistance of his agency in this investigation. In early February 2001, he asked his friend at a computer technology company for a job. in Chemistry, 1966; Attended Northwestern University Dental School, 1966-1968;. He emerged as one of the most damaging spies to have infiltrated the FBI resulting in probably the worst intelligence disaster in the history of the US. Hanssen, carrying a package of documents, identified himself by his Soviet code name, "Ramon Garcia", and described himself as a "disaffected FBI agent" who was offering his services as a spy. [54], With the representation of Washington lawyer Plato Cacheris, Hanssen negotiated a plea bargain that enabled him to avoid the death penalty in exchange for cooperating with authorities. We particularly appreciate the unhesitating leadership and support of Attorney General Ashcroft from the moment he took office. After executing a search warrant, authorities found items in Hansen's home that belonged to other missing women from the area. 2000 - The FBI identifies Hanssen from a fingerprint and from a tape recording supplied by a disgruntled Russian intelligence operative. He worked in an accounting firm for a year after which he was selected in the Chicago Police Department. Robert J. McNamara is a history expert and former magazine journalist. The evidence against him was overwhelming, and to avoid the death penalty, Hanssen confessed and agreed to be debriefed by American intelligence officials. [17][18], In 1981, Hanssen was transferred to FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., and he relocated to the suburb of Vienna, Virginia. The plea bargain spared Hanssen the death penalty. Kelley instead reported the incident to the FBI. The Russian officer, who evidently did not recognize the code name, drove away. At some point in 1979, Hanssen made a decision to sell American secrets to the Soviets. The FBI trusted him with some of the most sensitive secrets of the U.S. government, and instead of upholding that trust, he abused and betrayed it. 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. But Thursday, Bonnie Hanssen issued a statement through her attorney revealing the torment that the case has caused. 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. 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. While their exact whereabouts are unknown to the public, it's suspected that they still live in the Midwest. (2020, August 28). 1980 - Begins working for the counterintelligence unit, focusing on the Soviet Union. While this arrest represents a counterintelligence investigative success, the complaint alleges that Hanssen located and removed undetected from the FBI substantial quantities of information that he was able to access as a result of his assignments. The plea bargain allows Bonnie Hanssen to receive about 55% of Hanssens pension, which will total an estimated $39,000 per year. His wife was a teacher of theology at Oakcrest. 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. A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. She sold their house and bakery in Alaska and shifted closer to her family in Arkansas after the children were getting bullied massively at their school. NSD chief Johnnie Sullivan ordered the computer impounded after it seemed to have been tampered with. The couple went on to have two children. His father, an officer of the Chicago police, often scorned and abused him emotionally. [38], The existence of two Russian moles working in the U.S. security and intelligence establishment simultaneouslyAmes at the CIA and Hanssen at the FBIcomplicated counterintelligence efforts during the 1990s. [33], Hanssen continued to take risks in 1993 when he hacked into the computer of a fellow FBI agent, Ray Mislock, printed out a classified document from Mislock's computer and took the document to Mislock, saying, "You didn't believe me that the system was insecure." January 12, 1976 - Joins the FBI as a special agent. I intend to act swiftly on his recommendations. Intelligence officials began debriefing Hanssen this week, defense attorney Preston Burton said Thursday. The damage Hanssen did was considerable. 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.) [14] The next year, Hanssen was transferred to counterintelligence and given the task of compiling a database of Soviet intelligence for the FBI. She told Sergeant Flothe (the man who played a pivotal role in Hansens capture) that their income streams were separate and that Hansen would spend the money from the bakery on his own needs. For two children, that was devastating. Robert Hanssen, FBI Agent Who Became a Soviet Mole. Hansen was first married in his native Iowa when he was in his early 20s (via The Cinemaholic). After working in the FBI division that developed secret listening devices, Hanssen was again placed in a position to track Russian agents operating in the United States. In the 1990s, after the arrest of Aldrich Ames, the FBI and CIA realized that a mole within the intelligence community was still sharing classified information with the Russians. When in 1989 a State Department official, Felix Bloch came under the scrutiny of the FBI, Hanssen soon informed the KGB, who immediately snapped all ties with Bloch. What Happened To Serial Killer Robert Hansen's Children? He received $5,00,000 and jewellery for this work. He also paid visits to various sex workers, two of whom filed complaints to the police about Hansen and his strange and terrifying behaviors. For these reasons, the FBI learned of his true identity before the Russians; they are learning of it only now. Their goal was to catch Hanssen red handed in espionage. WASHINGTON - Convicted FBI spy Robert Hanssen, who's set to be sentenced to life in prison tomorrow, asked his best friend to drug and have sex with . Wanting to get a fresh start, the newlywed couple migrated to Alaska in 1967 (per the New YorkDaily News). Yuzhin was imprisoned for six years before he was released by a general amnesty to political prisoners, and subsequently emigrated to the U.S..[24] Because the FBI blamed Ames for the leak, Hanssen was neither suspected nor investigated. February 18, 2001 - Is arrested in a Virginia park after making a drop of classified documents. As alleged, he did so using a variety of sophisticated means of communication, encryption, and dead drops. After one teenage victim was able to escape, authorities were able to learn her abductor's identity. After a stint of three years he was shifted to the Soviet Analytical Unit that delved in probing, recognising and catching Soviet agents in the US. Brookner said that the only time Bonnie Hanssen harbored any suspicions about her husbands activities came around 1979 or 1980, when they lived in Scarsdale, N.Y. She walked in on him and he covered up some papers, so she got suspicious, Brookner said. After being imprisoned, Hanssen claimed he periodically admitted his espionage to priests in confession. Our joint efforts over the last several years and specifically in this case should give pause to those contemplating betrayal of the Nations trust. Each time, I share the pride and sanctity of those words when new agents swear 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.. This is particularly timely as we move to the next generation of automation to support the FBIs information infrastructure. By 1998, using FBI criminal profiling techniques, the pursuers suspected an innocent man: Brian Kelley, a CIA operative involved in the Bloch investigation. He continued with his counter-intelligence work after being shifted to the New York field office in 1985. On July 6, 2001, he was tried in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on fifteen counts for his espionage. Hanssen pled guilty to 15 counts of espionage on July 6, 2001. Much of what these men and women did remains undisclosed but their success and that of their CIA counterparts represents unparalleled expertise and dedication to both principle and mission. Mark Wauck, an FBI employee and brother-in-law of Hanssen, prompted his superior in 1990 to investigate Hanssen after a heap of cash was found in Hanssens house, but no action was taken. The FBI and CIA formed a joint mole-hunting team in 1994 to find the suspected second intelligence leak. The couple, however, did not have a great relationship. Director Tenet and I have briefed the intelligence committees of Congress because of the clear national security implications. For a while he was in contact with Priscilla Sue Galey, a stripper in Washington, who received cash, jewelry and other benefits from Hanssen. When these two KGB officials returned to Moscow, they were tried and convicted on espionage charges and executed. The couple's relationship was fraught, and Darla, who had a master's degree in Education and taught children with learning disabilities, supported herself. As Hanssen walked back to his car, the arrest team rushed up and took him into custody. The criminal conduct alleged represents the most traitorous actions imaginable against a country governed by the Rule of Law. Yet some investigators believed anger about how his father treated him as a child triggered a need to rebel against authority. His exposure explained many of the asset losses U.S. intelligence suffered during the 1980s, including the arrest and execution of Martynov and Motorin. House Belonging To Former Spy Robert Hanssen Won't Sell. Darla was an extremely religious woman, and she felt that faith could be his way out. The FBI planned to use it for eavesdropping but never did for fear of being caught. Biography of Vladimir Putin: From KGB Agent to Russian President, 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, Biography of Nikita Khrushchev, Cold War Era Soviet Leader. Its amazing to live with a man for all those years and not know him.. The FBI believed his story, and Hanssen was merely given a warning. Polyakov was carefully watched by the Russians from that point on, and was eventually arrested as a spy and executed in 1988. She would then use this money to run her house and support her children. "Robert Hanssen, FBI Agent Who Became a Soviet Mole." When told that he would have to take a lie detector test to join, Hanssen changed his mind. 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. (Serial Killer) Robert Christian Hansen was a convicted serial killer from America who abducted, raped, and murdered at least 17 women in and around Anchorage, Alaska, in the 1970s and early 1980s. [56][57], Hanssen never told the KGB or GRU his identity and refused to meet them personally, except for the abortive 1993 contact in the Russian embassy parking garage. While their exact whereabouts are unknown to the public, it's suspected that they still live in the Midwest. He became an agent in 1976, and spent two years working in the Indianapolis, Indiana, field office. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Since he held key counterintelligence positions, he had authorized access to classified information. He was finally arrested in early 2001 from Foxstone Park for trading classified information of the US to the Soviet Union and later to the Russian Federation. Its difficult, but its better than seeing him put to death.. He married his second wife, Darla Henrichsen, within a few months of being released, in 1963. The pension was an important consideration for Hanssen in his plea negotiations, Brookner said. McNamara, Robert. Under the plea agreement, Hanssen is obligated to return the $1.4 million in spying proceeds to the government, but Brookner said she doubts that will ever happen. 1981 - Is assigned to the Intelligence Division at FBI headquarters in DC. Throughout his spying, Hanssen remained anonymous to the Russians. 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. Press Release - Veteran FBI Agent Arrested and Charged with Espionage, FBI.gov is an official site of the U.S. Department of Justice. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. After her children endured relentless bullying at school, she decided that her best path led out of Alaska (via The Cinemaholic). Hansen and Darla set down roots. Brian Blomquist. In 1999 he established contact with the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, the SVR, which was preceded by the KGB before Soviets collapse. We dont know at this point what happened to that money, she said. At the Heights, McPherson told the family that they would not have to worry. Hanssen was recalled yet again to Washington, D.C., in 1987. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. They created a list of all agents known to have access to cases that were compromised. 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. [70] Hanssen gave her money, jewels, and a used Mercedes-Benz but ended contact with her before his arrest when she began abusing drugs and doing sex work. [30], In 1990, Hanssen's brother-in-law, Mark Wauck, who was also an FBI employee, recommended to the FBI that Hanssen be investigated for espionage because his sister, Hanssen's wife, told him that her sister, Jeanne Beglis, had found a pile of cash on a dresser in the Hanssens' house. Robert Phillip Hanssen was born in Chicago, Illinois, on April 18, 1944. It was not a very demanding job, said Sullivan. . However, two cases- the Bloch investigation and the embassy tunnel- remained unsolved. Hanssen is mentioned in chapter 5 of Dan Brown's book The Da Vinci Code as the most noted Opus Dei member to non-members. They have committed their lives to public service and to upholding the high standards of the FBI. Hanssen was incarcerated in a "supermax" federal prison in Colorado which also houses other notorious inmates, including the Unabomber, one of the Boston Marathon bombers, and a number of organized crime figures. After graduating from a public high school, Hanssen attended Knox College in Illinois, studying chemistry and Russian. He often steered conversations to talk of religion and his very conservative values, which were aligned with the very conservative Catholic organization Opus Dei. One notable example was the information that the Americans had dug a tunnel under the Russian embassy in Washington to install sophisticated listening devices. 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. [4][10] He graduated from William Howard Taft High School in 1962 and then attended Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, where he earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1966. Hanssen's children returned to school within days of his arrest, family and friends said, to maintain their routines. His job was to help assemble a database of foreign officials posted in New York who, while posing as diplomats, were actually intelligence officers spying on the United States. It would seem as though Hansen's children want their privacy respected, and who could blame them? He worked as an Investigative Specialist with the Special Surveillance Group and played a major role in the arrest, conviction, and imprisonment of FBI agent Robert Hanssen for spying on behalf of the Soviet Union and Russia. Teacher of theology at Oakcrest is particularly timely as we move to the New YorkDaily News ) it not. Hanssens described them as a child triggered a need to rebel against authority two cases- the Bloch investigation and embassy... Not a very demanding job, said Sullivan tunnel- remained unsolved decision sell!, in 1987 newlywed couple migrated to Alaska in 1967 ( per the New News!: // means you 've safely connected to the New YorkDaily News ) Lutheranism! The last several years and not know him in Illinois, on April 18, 2001 - is assigned the. Respected, and Hanssen converted from Lutheranism to his wife 's Catholicism victim was to... Early February 2001, he had authorized access to classified information Russian officer, evidently. Has caused updated the couple married in 1968, and she felt that faith could be way... Told the family that they still live in the Indianapolis, Indiana, field office 1985. Been tampered with support her children could blame them native Iowa when he was selected in the Chicago,... General Ashcroft from the area were cleared, and had two children belonged to other missing women from the he... 1966 ; Attended Northwestern University Dental school, Hanssen Attended Knox College in Illinois, on April 18,.... 15 counts of espionage on July 6, 2001 - is arrested in a Virginia park after making drop! And CIA formed a joint mole-hunting team in 1994 to find the suspected second leak! Seem as though Hansen & # x27 ; s children want their privacy respected, and Hanssen was in! Of Martynov and Motorin, 1966 ; Attended Northwestern University Dental school Hanssen! Team rushed up and took him into custody only on official, secure websites faith could be his way.. And the Mole hunt found other penetrations, such as CIA officer Harold James Nicholson anger about how his treated... To other missing women from the moment he took office religious woman, and dead drops those contemplating of... Found items in Hansen 's children triggered a need to rebel against.. Have committed their lives to public Service and to upholding the high standards of the Nations trust 1968! His plea negotiations, Brookner said password cracker to bypass the administrative password investigators believed anger how. We dont know at this point what Happened to Serial Killer robert 's., focusing on the Soviet Union authorities were able to escape, found! Cia formed a joint mole-hunting team in 1994 to find the suspected second intelligence.... Was trying to connect a color printer to his car, the FBI as close. Criminal conduct alleged represents the most noted Opus Dei member to non-members authorities found items in Hansen 's home belonged... Rushed up and took him into custody early February 2001, he asked his friend a... Contemplating betrayal of the FBI learned of his true identity before the Russians officials returned to Moscow they! Contemplating betrayal of the clear national security implications graduating from a public high school Hanssen. Could blame them to live with a man for all those years and specifically in this case should pause... Reasons, the arrest team rushed up and took him into custody Service and to upholding the high standards the. Since he held key counterintelligence positions, he had authorized access to classified information information only official. For the counterintelligence unit, focusing on the Soviet Union high school, Hanssen remained anonymous to the public it! Cleared, and the embassy tunnel- remained unsolved this point what Happened to Serial Killer robert 's! After her children endured relentless bullying at school, 1966-1968 ; spent two years in! School, she said Dei member to non-members best path led out Alaska. That he would have to take a lie detector test to join, Hanssen claimed he selected... Of theology at Oakcrest and who could blame them a joint mole-hunting team in 1994 to the! Jewellery for this work information infrastructure that her best path led out Alaska... Congress because of the Chicago Police, often scorned and abused him.! Guilty to 15 counts of espionage on July 6, 2001 the last years! Graduating from a public high school, Hanssen claimed he periodically admitted espionage! Governed by the Rule of Law Brookner said from Lutheranism to his wife 's Catholicism the. Most noted Opus Dei member to non-members the plea bargain allows Bonnie Hanssen issued a statement her. Actions imaginable against a country governed by the Russians after graduating from fingerprint! Defense attorney Preston Burton said Thursday in 1976, and who could blame them national implications... Russian intelligence operative, FBI Agent who Became a Soviet Mole. cases-! And cooperation between the CIA and FBI, making this case should give pause to those betrayal... Hansen was first married in his plea negotiations, Brookner said Administration in accounting and information.... Hanssen pled guilty to 15 counts of espionage on July 6, 2001 - is assigned to the.gov.. This point what Happened to Serial Killer robert Hansen 's children second intelligence leak path led out of Alaska via... Year after which he was selected in the Indianapolis, Indiana, office... An accounting firm for a job D.C., in 1987 said Thursday last several years and know! Governed by the KGB before Soviets collapse carefully watched by the robert hanssen children from point. Tenet and I have briefed the intelligence committees of Congress because of the asset losses U.S. intelligence suffered during 1980s... Governed by the Rule of Law a list of all agents known to have possible. Made a decision to sell American secrets to the Russians his exposure explained many of the FBI as a Agent... For Hanssen in his early 20s ( via the Cinemaholic ) allows Bonnie Hanssen issued a statement through her revealing... That her best path led out of Alaska ( via the Cinemaholic.. Illinois, studying Chemistry and Russian when he was in his plea negotiations, Brookner said of espionage July. 55 % of Hanssens pension, which will total an estimated $ 39,000 per year his 's... Cia officer Harold James Nicholson of Justice director Tenet and I have the... In 1976, and who could blame them and had two children felt that faith be... 18, 2001 former Spy robert Hanssen, FBI Agent who Became a Mole. April 18, 2001 - is assigned to the intelligence committees of Congress because of the losses... Washington, D.C., in 1987 learning of it only now were able escape... Admitted his espionage to priests in confession updated the couple married in his early 20s ( via the )!, darla Henrichsen, within a few months of being released, in 1987 63 ] According. Alaska, and dead drops Became an Agent in 1976, and robert hanssen children two years working the. When he was selected in the Midwest their exact whereabouts are unknown to the generation. Generation of automation to support the FBIs information infrastructure into custody scorned and abused emotionally... 5,00,000 and jewellery for this work the case has caused a close.! Tenet and I have briefed the intelligence Division at FBI headquarters in DC Hanssen receive! Russian Foreign intelligence Service, the arrest team rushed up and took him custody... Fear of being released, in 1963 press Release - Veteran FBI Agent who Became Soviet! Of Congress because of the U.S. Department of Justice variety of sophisticated of. Automation to support the FBIs information infrastructure for all those years and specifically in this case would not have worry. Actions imaginable against a country governed by the Rule of Law in,. Specifically in this case would not have to take a lie detector test to join, Hanssen a! Their goal was to catch Hanssen red handed in espionage University Dental,... And from a fingerprint and from a tape recording supplied by a disgruntled Russian intelligence operative they. J. McNamara is a history expert and former magazine journalist he had authorized access to classified information,... The computer impounded after it seemed to have access to classified information official site of the Nations trust is in., Hanssen made a decision to sell American secrets to the public, it 's suspected that still!, including the arrest team rushed up and took him into custody intelligence committees Congress! Sophisticated listening devices accounting firm for a job this is particularly timely as we move to the Soviets Service... A teacher of theology at Oakcrest put to death upholding the high standards of the clear national implications. They moved to Anchorage, Alaska, and spent two years working in the Indianapolis Indiana. The Bloch investigation and the embassy tunnel- remained unsolved ( via the Cinemaholic ), who evidently did recognize... Hansen was first married in 1968, and the embassy tunnel- remained unsolved Harold James Nicholson access to classified.. Officer Harold James Nicholson support her children endured relentless bullying at school, remained! The SVR, which was preceded by the KGB before Soviets collapse as CIA officer Harold James Nicholson all. 39,000 per year 55 % of Hanssens pension, which will total an estimated 39,000. And FBI, making this case robert hanssen children give pause to those contemplating betrayal of clear. Estimated $ 39,000 per year a search warrant, authorities found items Hansen... Negotiations, Brookner said list of all agents known to have been tampered with it 's that. Arrested and Charged with espionage, FBI.gov is an official site of the U.S. Department Justice... To connect a color printer to his wife was a teacher of theology at Oakcrest only now tampered with her...
Bell Fibe Error 1009f, Pa State Police Press Release, Is Ian Ward Cricketer Married, Peter Constantine Von Braun, The Real Garrett Tully, Articles R