By Allan Lengel
Disgraced FBI agent Robert Hanssen, who for 15 years was a Moscow spy working against his country and the bureau, died Monday at the supermax federal prison in Florence, Colorado. Authorities referred to his spying as one of the most “disturbing and appalling” espionage cases in American history.
Just before 7 a.m. Monday, Hanssen, 79, was found dead in his cell, an official tells ABC News. The prison, nicknamed the “Alcatraz of the Rockies,” houses some of the nation’s most notorious criminals, including terrorists.
Hanssen was arrested Feb. 18, 2001 and later pleaded guilty, agreeing to cooperate with authorities. In turn, they agreed not to seek the death penalty and settled for a life sentence.
“Given the gravity of Hanssen’s betrayal and the strength of the government’s case, the decision to forego the most severe penalty provided by law for this act was a difficult one,” said Attorney General John Ashcroft in a statement in 2001. “Based on the strong recommendation of the intelligence community, a judgement was made that it would be appropriate for the government to resolve this case in a manner that ensures Hanssen’s truthful cooperation and protects national security information, while guaranteeing that Hanssen would spend every day of the rest of his life behind bars.”
Hanssen began working for the Soviet union in 1985, and provided highly classified national security information in exchange for $1.4 million.
On its webpage, the FBI wrote:
“Since he held key counterintelligence positions, he had authorized access to classified information. He used encrypted communications, ‘dead drops,’ and other clandestine methods to provide information to the KGB and its successor agency, the SVR. The information he delivered compromised numerous human sources, counterintelligence techniques, investigations, dozens of classified U.S. government documents, and technical operations of extraordinary importance and value.”
