The Hanssens are active members of Opus Dei, a conservative Catholic group. Hanssen lived in suburban Virginia, was married, and had six children; he was a devout Catholic who went to Mass every week, sometimes every day. He visited an office of the Russian government's trading company and offered to spy. 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. Many of the questions centered on assertions made by Mrs. Hanssen's brother, Mark Wauck, an F.B.I. 1979 - Begins spying for the Soviet Union. The following year, he married Darla Henrichson, with whom he went on to have two children. 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. In fact, her husband resumed his espionage career. May 10, 2002 - Is sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. He has never answered that question for anyone. He became an agent in 1976, and spent two years working in the Indianapolis, Indiana, field office. The plea bargain allows Bonnie Hanssen to receive about 55% of Hanssens pension, which will total an estimated $39,000 per year. 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. 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. But in 1999, while assigned as an FBI liaison with the State Department, he once again began selling American secrets. A few years later, they moved to Anchorage, Alaska, and had two children. He lobbied his Russian masters to buy him a newer PalmPilot, with wireless Internet capabilities, which would allow the rapid transmission of encrypted messages. I slammed the door behind me and slid to a halt in Hanssens office.. ONeills next assignment would put him right into the lions den. Our hearts go out to them. Robert Hanssen is a former FBI agent notorious for committing treason and selling state secrets to the Soviets (later the Russians). Realizing the importance of the material, the United States paid $7 million for it. The couple, however, did not have a great relationship. Sunday night the FBI arrested Robert Philip Hanssen who has been charged with committing espionage. Sometime in the mid-1960s, Robert Hansen got married for the second time. ''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. Since becoming Director over seven years ago, I have administered the FBI oath to each graduating class of Special Agents at the FBI Academy. She said she repeatedly questioned her husband to ensure that he was making the payments, and each time he insisted that he was. Instead, he ultimately became the most damaging spy in. This story has been shared 106,031 times. robert hanssen children. 2023 Cable News Network. Alleman tasked him with purloining Hanssens PalmPilot. The first time around, his wife divorced him after a mere half-year because of his incarceration for arson in Iowa. 91 Followers. Robert Philip Hansen thought he was smarter than the system. He betrayed his God. Couldnt this have waited till Monday? he asked. A feature film called "Breach" was released in 2007. and finally hopped out of the car, determined to walk back to the office. Its the one scrap of power hes kept for himself.. Director Jenny Chung Writer Jenny Chung Stars Bob Aguilar Jim Babel Jeff Barber 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 Serial killer Robert Hansen confessed to killing 17 women in Alaska over a 12-year span, all while married with two children. He also independently disclosed the identity of two KGB officials who, first compromised by Aldrich Ames, had been recruited by the U.S. Government to serve as agents in place at the Soviet Embassy in Washington. A feature film called "Breach" was released in 2007. The Soviets, suspicious of being lured into a trap, demanded to meet him. Were you in my office? Hanssen leaned over my desk, his face inches from mine. 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. He betrayed his best friend, offering him up to the KGB. They bought a modest, three-bedroom home in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., north of New York City. For these reasons, the FBI learned of his true identity before the Russians; they are learning of it only now. 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. He then applied and was accepted into the FBI. On February 18, 2001, Hanssen was arrested at a park in northern Virginia after he had placed a package at a dead drop location. Robert Hanssen, FBI Agent Who Became a Soviet Mole. The Robert Hanssen Story" was released in 2002. But while the FBI could have arrested Hanssen on the spot, they would have had him only on a conspiracy charge. By the time O'Neill slipped into the car on that fateful Sunday morning in 2001, an FBI operation was already underway to . He didnt see the PalmPilot, but there was a messenger bag and it was a jackpot: full of data disks, financial statements, a passport and a second cellphone. Classic animal aggression, ONeill writes. His assistant, Eric ONeill, was tasked with keeping investigators apprised of Hanssens movements. Hanssen parked on a residential street and walked down a wooded path to a footbridge with the classified materials wrapped in a plastic bag. She agreed to describe the results, Ms. Brookner said, because they exonerated Mrs. Hanssen. 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. The couple, however, did not have a great relationship. During his second round of dealing with Russian agents, Hanssen was much more cautious. January 12, 1976 - Joins the FBI as a special agent. Did you see it?. He often steered conversations to talk of religion and his very conservative values, which were aligned with the very conservative Catholic organization Opus Dei. 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. But something went wrong and when the two men showed up in the parking garage, the FBI car wasnt there. All three were arrested; two were executed. Described as. The complaint alleges that he received over $600,000. Heres a list, Greek transportation minister resigns over train collision as death toll keeps rising, Ohios senators to unveil rail safety bill in wake of East Palestine derailment, After months of pounding, Ukrainian official says military may pull back from Bakhmut, Elizabeth Holmes cites her new baby as a reason she should avoid prison for Theranos scam. The Russian had obtained Hanssen's KGB file. But Brookner said Hanssens 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. December 2000 - The FBI begins surveillance of Hanssen. Who were Robert Hansen's wives and children? 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. In her statement, Bonnie Hanssen thanked government officials for allowing her to retain the pension and for recognizing that she and the children clearly are innocent victims.. He wanted to interview Hanssen for the book but was refused. 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. 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. One day in February, when Hanssen was away, ONeill took a risk and snuck into his boss office. The ensuing investigation confirmed this suspicion. The FBI believed this was his signal site where the Russians would signal when they were ready to receive his intel. Minutes later, ONeill extracted it from the mans bag, along with a floppy disc and a flash drive, running everything downstairs for a tech team to copy. An FBI arrest team moved into position at Foxstone Park, a location where Hanssen had been spotted before by FBI surveillance. 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. At the end of the Cold War, Hanssen sold classified secrets to the Soviet and Russian intelligence services. Hanssen was finally discovered when a former KGB agent contacted American intelligence agents. The bureau had not asked her to take a polygraph test after her husband's arrest in February 2001. In 1978, Hanssen was transferred to the FBI office in New York City and was assigned to a counterintelligence post. Enraged to the point that his fist was clenched in a tight ball, Hanssen ran through his usual list of insults Idiot! 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. Children: Lisa, Greg, Mark, John "Jack," Sue and Jane. had too readily accepted Mrs. Hanssen's version of events. Source: Netflix Article continues below advertisement 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. Authorities say Hanssen was driven by greed, but Brookner rejected that assertion. I never want you in my office again, Hanssen said. .) And there was more than a touch of obvious paranoia: My security concerns have proven reality-based, Hanssen wrote. Expert interviews recount Hanssen's life, how he stayed hidden for over 20 years, and the events leading to his arrest. 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. Hanssen wanted to be posted to Allenwood in hopes that he might be visited frequently by his wife Bonnie and their six children. 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. In his new book, Gray Day: My Undercover Mission to Expose Americas First Cyber Spy (Crown), ONeill tells his story of risking his life in 2001 to bring down the operative. Nor can there be any doubt that he was keenly aware of the gravity of his traitorous actions. The plea bargain spared Hanssen the death penalty. One day, she said, she found her husband scurrying to cover up some papers in the basement of their home in Scarsdale, N.Y. A former FBI Supervisory Special Agen. ONeill rushed everything he found to Alleman, who had all of it copied, and then quickly returned the contents to Hanssens bag. 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. Their actions represent counterintelligence at its very best and under the most difficult and sensitive of circumstances. 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. But Mr. Hanssen was not tricking the Russians; he was a Russian spy and had been working for the G.R.U., Soviet military intelligence, since 1979. 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. 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. He had opportunity. 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. 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. Playing to Hanssens ego, the underling, a newlywed, said he needed relationship advice about his wife wanting to wait to have children. 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. Browse 139 robert hanssen stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. The parents of six children, Bob and Bonnie "were the picture of a perfect family. (Photo courtesy of FBI/Newsmakers). She visits her husband in prison regularly. 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. But Thursday, Bonnie Hanssen issued a statement through her attorney revealing the torment that the case has caused. Hanssen checked the sign three times that night. The Ellis drop site, under a footbridge over Wolftrap Creek at Foxstone Park near Vienna, Va. U.S. Attorney Randy Bellows, right, is depicted in an artists sketch as he addresses the court during the sentencing of convicted spy Robert Hanssen, center, seen with his attorney Plato Cacheris, left, at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia. Asked what Bonnie Hanssen thinks may have motivated her husband, Brookner said: Who knows? Press Release - Veteran FBI Agent Arrested and Charged with Espionage, FBI.gov is an official site of the U.S. Department of Justice. Sun, Feb 12, 2023. . 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. The Justice Department's inspector general has been examining the F.B.I. Hanssen was an FBI agent for 25 years, but he was also a spy for the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation . agent in Chicago. Now 74, he is serving time at ADX Florence, the federal supermax prison in Colorado. 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. Heart Of Darkness. Although his name was not specifically mentioned, evidence in the file pointed to Hanssen, who was put under close surveillance. Hanssen would now be ONeills boss. 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. In school, he was bullied for his acne, girls would not talk to him, and he also developed a stutter. Yet some investigators believed anger about how his father treated him as a child triggered a need to rebel against authority. 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. ''I never knew about anything else after that first time,'' Mrs. Hanssen said in the interview. 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. He worked as a source for the USSR and subsequently The Russian Federation. 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. 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. 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.. He betrayed his country. However, even though Hansen would go to church with his wife, nothing really changed. Robert hanssen: the fox guarding the henhouse. I always liked writing privately in journals, but writing publicly is new. May 16, 2001 - Is indicted on 21 counts of spying for the Soviet Union/Russia and passing top secret material to the Soviet Union/Russia. 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. A bakery owner by trade, Hansen was also an avid outdoorsman and. 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