The Federal Bureau of Prisons stated on Monday that Robert Philip Hanssen, who was paid $1.4 million in cash and diamonds by the Soviet Union and Russia in exchange for information, had passed away. Age-wise, he was 79.
On July 17, 2002, Hanssen was taken into prison in Colorado and transferred to USP Florence ADMAX.
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Robert Hanssen, Who Worked For The FBI But Spied For Russia Was Found De@d In Jail
According to a press release from the Federal Bureau of Pris0ns, inmate Robert Hanssen was discovered unresponsive at the United States Penitentiary (USP) Florence ADMAX in Florence, Colorado, at around 6:55 am on Monday, June 5, 2023, as reported by CNN.“Responding staff immediately initiated life-saving measures. Staff requested emergency medical services (EMS) and life-saving efforts continued.”
“EMS personnel subsequently pronounced Mr. Hanssen de@d,” the statement stated.
Hanssen avoided the de@th penalty in return for pleading guilty to 15 counts of espionage and conspiracy in 2001. He got the de@th penalty, meaning he’ll spend the rest of his life behind bars.
He was accused of betraying dozens of Soviet personnel working for the United States, some of whom were put to de@th as a result of the investigation. He divulged information about many US technical operations, including eavesdropping, surveillance, and communication interception. He also revealed to the Soviets the United States’ strategies for countering and protecting against a nuclear assault from the Soviet Union.
The Hanssen case shook the US intelligence community to its core, revealing serious inadequacies in the FBI’s and other agencies’ procedures for vetting individuals who are granted access to sensitive information.
Hanssen’s betrayal led to the discovery that he had unfettered access to FBI and State Department computer networks, where he would spend hours searching invisibly for sensitive data. Hanssen had never taken a polygraph test in his 25 years with the FBI, despite having access to top-secret information about American spying on the Soviet Union and Russia.
After the Hanssen case, the FBI increased the use of polygraphs to routinely assess employees for continued allegiance and suitability, and it began closely monitoring the finances and travel of personnel with access to classified information. These measures were taken to protect national secrets.
Former FBI Director Robert Mueller said, “security was not a principle priority” before Hanssen was uncovered. There was no separate security department. The FBI simply lacked the necessary knowledge. We made an effort to fix that.
You can also read about these famous de@ths that we covered:
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Robert Hanssen Spent A Decade Spying
Three years after becoming an FBI agent, Hanssen began espionage for the Soviet Union in 1979.
The counterintelligence officer spied for nearly 15 years, through the end of the Cold War and through some of the most pivotal periods in US-Russia relations. In the 1980s, he stopped being a spy for four years after being persuaded to do so by his wife, Bonnie.
According to a letter Hanssen supposedly wrote to the Russians, the memoirs of British double agent Kim Philby influenced him when he was a teenager.
Hanssen told his US interrogators after his 2001 capture, “I could have been a devastating spy, I think, but I didn’t want to be a devastating spy. I wanted to get a little money and get out of it.”
During his 2002 sentencing, Hanssen expressed regret for his acts. “I am shamed by it. Beyond its illegality, I have torn the trust of so many. Worse, I have opened the door for calumny against my totally innocent wife and our children. I hurt them deeply. I have hurt so many deeply,” he said.
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