FBI Agent Accused of Russia Spying

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FBI Agent Accused of Russia Spying

By Karen Gullo Associated Press Writer Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2001; 9:04 a.m. EST

WASHINGTON –– A veteran FBI agent has been arrested on an espionage charge, accused of spying for Russia, the FBI said Tuesday.

The agent, Robert Philip Hanssen, was arrested at his home in Vienna, Va., Sunday night, said FBI spokesman Bill Carter. He was to be arraigned later Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va.

Attorney General John Ashcroft and CIA Director George Tenet scheduled an early afternoon news conference to discuss the arrest. Underscoring the gravity of the case, former FBI Director William Webster will lead a blue-ribbon panel that will assess the impact of the alleged espionage, according to an FBI source.

The 56-year-old Hanssen was assigned to FBI headquarters in Washington, and had been an FBI agent for about 27 years. He spent most of his career in counterintelligence, spying on Russian government outposts in the United States, said the source, speaking only on condition of anonymity. At one point in his career, Hanssen was assigned to the State Department, the source said.

NBC said Hanssen was arrested shortly after FBI agents saw him deposit a package of classified information at a "dead drop" in a Virginia park.

The network quoted FBI officials as saying that among secrets disclosed by Hanssen included U.S. methods for conducting electronic surveillance. He also may have confirmed for the Russians information originally supplied to them by convicted CIA spy Aldrich Ames.

NBC said Hanssen is accused of causing extreme damage to U.S. security.

Nancy Cullen, a neighbor, described Hanssen's neighborhood as being in shock with news of the arrest. "They go to church every Sunday – if that means anything – loading all six kids into the van." She said the Hanssens were regulars at the Memorial Day block party and called Hanssen "very attractive ... not overly gregarious."

Last year a former Army officer was accused of spying for the Soviet Union and Russia for 25 years. Prosecutors said retired Army Reserve Col. George Trofimoff, who was a civilian intelligence employee, was captured on one tape putting his hand to his heart and telling an undercover agent posing as a Russian agent: "I'm not American in here."

© Copyright 2001 The Associated Press

-- Uncle Bob (unclb0b@aol.com), February 20, 2001

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