Robert Hanssen, an FBI agent who was convicted of spying for Russia, dies in prison

Former FBI agent Robert Hanssen, convicted of spying for Russia, has died in prison at the age of 79.

The backstory: Hanssen had been serving a life sentence without parole since 2002 after pleading guilty to 15 counts of espionage and other charges.
* He divulged extensive information about American intelligence-gathering since at least 1985, taking more than $1.4 million in cash, bank funds, diamonds, and Rolex watches in exchange for classified national security information.
* Hanssen was believed to have been partly responsible for the deaths of at least three Soviet officers working for U.S. intelligence who were executed after being exposed.

Details of the case: Using the alias “Ramon Garcia,” Hanssen passed some 6,000 documents and 26 computer disks to his handlers, detailing eavesdropping techniques and confirming the identity of Russian double agents, among other secrets.
* Investigations later found missed red flags, and Hanssen was eventually caught in a sting operation while leaving a dead drop for Russian handlers.
* The story was adapted into the 2007 movie Breach, starring Chris Cooper and Ryan Phillippe.

View original article on NPR

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