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Robert Hanssen (continued)
Dropped off some documents at a dead drop and was rewarded with a payment of $50,000. For the next six years, Hanssen continued to deliver classified information to his Soviet contacts, many involving nuclear weaponry and satellite information. One of his secrets passed included the inner workings of the COINS-II (Community On-Line Intelligence System). Provided Soviets with extraordinary logistical information, including information related to U.S. readiness in the event of a nuclear war. Over this period of time he collected more than $ 600,000 for his services as well as the acknowledgement of his importance. His information was directed to the Soviet heads in Moscow and he received official letters of praise of the director of the KGB. He was also promised that $100,000 had been deposited for him in an interest bearing account in a Soviet bank. Hanssen never told the Russian agents his real name, although he did, on occasion, use the alias Ramon Garcia.
In 1990, Mark Wauck, Bonnie's brother and also an FBI agent, learned that Bob had stashed away thousands of dollars in cash and spent money more freely than he had previously. Mark suspected that Bob might be engaged in spying and reported his suspicions to FBI officials in Chicago. These warnings, however, went unheeded and were ignored.
While betraying his country as a spy, Hanssen seemed to become even more committed in his devotion to the Opus Dei organization, attending meetings and rallys fervently and sending his children to Opus Dei schools. He often seemed obsessed with with religious and moral issues such as abortion. Despite these high principles, he engaged in lurid activities. He interacted online with pornographic internet web sites and chat rooms. He was reported to have filmed himself having sex with his wife and watched the tape with a friend. Most bizarre, however, was a relationship he developed with a stripper named Priscilla Galey.
Hanssen gave her money and jewelry and even provided for extensive dental work for her. He also took her on trips abroad and purchased a Mercedes-Benz for her. Surprisingly, however, despite lavishing her with such expensive gifts, Hanssen never pursued a sexual relationship with her. He seemed more intent on changing her life and leading her to religion. The relationship ended when she became involved in drugs. Was accused of making advances towards women in the FBI office and was suspended once for pushing an administrative assistant to the ground. Was disciplined for his actions.
In 1991, following the fall of the Soviet Union, Hanssen felt that the instability of the nation (and its intelligence community and operatives) made it too dangerous to continue in his espionage activities. For the next eight years he continued on at the FBI, but when former KGB official Vladimir Putin rose to power in 1999, Hanssen felt it was time to get back into the game and he re-established contact with the Russians.
In September 2000, a Russian agent cooperating with the FBI provided files he had received and included the plastic bags in which they were delivered. Robert Hanssen's fingerprints were found on these bags. The FBI quietly began surveillance on him and videotaped him taking documents marked SECRET from the FBI office. The Bureau went so far as to bug his home, office and car and purchased a house across the street from him in which they increased their surveillance.
He was observed making numerous trips to Foxstone Park where Hanssen checked for a signal that the Russians were ready to trade information for money.
On February 18, 2001, Hanssen went to church and then dropped off his friend Jack Hoschuer at Dulles Airport in Virginia. He traveled to Foxstone Park, near his Vienna, Virginia home, got out of his car and walked over to a footbridge, under which he left of package. The package contained the documents he had taken from his office as well as a computer diskette upon which was a goodbye letter to his Russian "friends."
The letter stated:
Dear Friends:
I thank you for your assistance these many years. It seems, however, that my greatest utility to you has come to an end, and it is time to seclude myself from active service... Life is full of its ups and downs... I will be in contact next year, same time same place.
As he made the "dead drop," 10 FBI agent's converged upon him, placing him under arrest. Hanssen was said to have exclaimed "What took you so long?" Bonnie Hanssen was taken into custody and interrogated but claimed she didn't believe her husband was a spy.
 The Justice Department wanted to pursue the death penalty for the man they called the most damaging FBI turncoat in history.
Instead, in June 2001, Hanssen was able to cut a deal, receiving life in prison without the possibility of parole in return for providing full details of his actions. He claimed that he spied against his country in order to provide for his family and because of his resentment for being passed over for job promotions. He showed little remorse for his action and was sentenced on May 10, 2002 and assigned to the Federal prison in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.
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