Robert Hanssen, a twenty five year veteran of the FBI and likely one of the most damaging spies in US history, was found unresponsive in his cell in ADX Florence, the Supermax Prison Facility where he was being held since 2002 after a guilty plea and being sentenced to 15 consecutive life sentences. He was 79 years old.
His case was so interesting that Hollywood even made a movie about it called Breach in 2007 starring Chris Cooper as Robert Hanssen. And having watched it, I will say... it was a pretty good film.
One of the things is that he seemed to be extremely narcissistic. He didn't do it for the money apparently, and he didn't just betray the FBI and his country, but his Church and family as well with his well hidden indiscretions.
Also unlike some more famous traitors and spies, such as Aldrich Ames or John Anthony Walker, Robert Hanssen's spycraft was actually far better as his Russian sources never figured out his identity, he was able to keep his payments hidden (and even admitted to his Soviet handlers he didn't need egregious amounts of money), he precisely planned the dead drops and he kept his espionage work completely hidden from anyone despite a few minor slip ups in communication to his Soviet handlers.
Robert Hanssen: Convicted US spy found dead in Colorado prison
Robert Hanssen had received more than $1.4m in cash, diamonds and money paid into Russian accounts.
www.bbc.com
His case was so interesting that Hollywood even made a movie about it called Breach in 2007 starring Chris Cooper as Robert Hanssen. And having watched it, I will say... it was a pretty good film.
One of the things is that he seemed to be extremely narcissistic. He didn't do it for the money apparently, and he didn't just betray the FBI and his country, but his Church and family as well with his well hidden indiscretions.
Also unlike some more famous traitors and spies, such as Aldrich Ames or John Anthony Walker, Robert Hanssen's spycraft was actually far better as his Russian sources never figured out his identity, he was able to keep his payments hidden (and even admitted to his Soviet handlers he didn't need egregious amounts of money), he precisely planned the dead drops and he kept his espionage work completely hidden from anyone despite a few minor slip ups in communication to his Soviet handlers.