Robert Hanssen, a former FBI agent infamous for his espionage on behalf of Russia, has passed away while serving a life sentence in a Colorado prison. Hanssen, who sold classified information to the Russians for over 16 years, died at the age of 79, though the exact cause of his death remains unknown.
Hanssen joined the FBI in 1976, initially tasked with identifying and apprehending Russian spies operating in the United States. Unbeknownst to his colleagues, he eventually volunteered his services to the Soviet intelligence agency.
Between 1985 and 2001, Hanssen handed over approximately 6,000 documents to the Russians, including sensitive military plans. He played a role in the deaths of at least three Soviet officers who had been working as double agents for American intelligence and were subsequently executed. Law enforcement officials in the US have labeled Hanssen as “the most damaging spy in FBI history.”
In exchange for a confession, Hanssen managed to avoid the death penalty during his trial. He admitted that his motivation had been primarily financial rather than driven by any particular Soviet ideology.
Hanssen received compensation in the form of cash, diamonds, and Rolex watches for his espionage activities, amassing an estimated $1.4 million. Despite his illicit earnings, his modest lifestyle helped him evade detection for many years.
In 2001, Hanssen’s luck ran out when he was apprehended in a Virginia park while attempting to dispose of a bag containing classified documents.