Aldrich Ames Biography

(Former CIA Officer & Agent for the Soviet Union & Russia)

Birthday: May 26, 1941 (Gemini)

Born In: River Falls, Wisconsin

Aldrich Hazen Ames is a former CIA officer, who had an over three decade long career with the ‘Central Intelligence Agency’ (CIA) of America, and convicted of espionage against his own country in 1994. As a counterintelligence officer and analyst, he was assigned by the ‘Central Intelligence Agency’ to detect spies of the Soviet Union. On the other hand he himself became a double agent, spying for the Soviet Union and later Russia. Aldrich Ames, who sold secret information to the Soviet KGB and later to Russia, earned millions and became the highest paid double agent in the history of the United States. His espionage included providing names of double agents and other operatives in the Soviet intelligence who worked for the United States. His information led to arrests, confinement as also execution of some of the best agents of the US by Soviet Union authorities, making him a pernicious double agent who jeopardized security and intelligence services of the United States. After being convicted, he was given a life sentence and is presently serving the sentence in the ‘Allenwood U.S. Penitentiary’.
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Quick Facts

Also Known As: Aldrich Hazen Ames

Age: 83 Years, 83 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Nancy Segebarth (div.) Maria del Rosario Casas Dupuy

father: Carleton Cecil Ames

mother: Rachel Aldrich Ames

Spies American Men

U.S. State: Wisconsin

More Facts

education: University of Chicago, George Washington University, McLean High School

  • 1

    What crimes was Aldrich Ames convicted of?

    Aldrich Ames was convicted of espionage, conspiracy to commit espionage, and tax evasion.

  • 2

    How did Aldrich Ames manage to spy for the Soviet Union?

    Aldrich Ames spied for the Soviet Union by providing classified information to the KGB in exchange for money.

  • 3

    What position did Aldrich Ames hold in the CIA?

    Aldrich Ames was a former CIA officer who worked in the agency's Soviet-East European Division.

  • 4

    How was Aldrich Ames eventually caught by the authorities?

    Aldrich Ames was caught after a mole-hunting operation by the CIA and FBI revealed his activities as a double agent.

  • 5

    What impact did Aldrich Ames' espionage have on U.S. national security?

    Aldrich Ames' espionage activities severely compromised U.S. national security and led to the exposure of numerous CIA assets and operations.

Childhood & Early Life
He was born on May 26, 1941, in River Falls, Wisconsin. He was the eldest and only son among three children of Carleton Cecil Ames, a lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and Rachel Ames, an English teacher of a high school.
His father served the CIA from 1952 till retirement. In 1953 the family accompanied his father when Carleton was transferred to Southeast Asia for a period of three years.
He studied at the ‘McLean High School’ in McLean, Virginia. His passion for theatre made him participate in plays during his high school days.
During his student days, he served as a low-ranking (GS-3) records analyst with the CIA for three summers starting from 1957.
He studied at the ‘University of Chicago’ from 1959 but did not complete his sophomore year as his intense love for theatre led to failing grades.
He served as a labourer in the CIA during 1960 summer and later worked in a Chicago theatre as an assistant technical director till February 1962.
He worked full time at the CIA in clerical position after he came back to Washington.
He received a B.A. degree in history from ‘George Washington University’ in 1967.
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Career
After he achieved the grade of GS-7 along with good performance appraisals, he was inducted in the ‘Career Trainee Program’ of the CIA and continued to work for them.
From 1969 to 1972 he was posted to Ankara, Turkey and was delegated the task of targeting officers of Soviet intelligence who could be appointed as US spies. In this pursuit he permeated the Communist Dev-Genç organization through student activist Deniz Gezmiş’s roommate. Despite this endeavour his performance rating was marked as only satisfactory, and he thought of quitting the CIA.
Coming back to the CIA headquarters in 1972 he was inducted in the Soviet-East European (SE) Division where he worked for the next four years.
He was posted in New York in 1976 and his handling of two significant agents of the Soviet Union along with outstanding execution of work fetched him a number of promotions and bonuses. However due to his negligence that resulted in two significant security infringements, he faced verbal admonition.
After a mediocre performance in Mexico from 1981, he returned to Washington in September 1983 where the CIA delegated him in the Department of Operations of the SE division that undertook Soviet counterintelligence activities. He had access to all CIA strategies and activities that were planned to counter Soviet security agency ‘KGB’ and their prime military foreign-intelligence service ‘GRU’.
As he also rendered service to one of the CIA offices that determined prospective US spies inside Soviet Embassy, it was a known fact that as per his task he would approach prospects in the Embassy. Thus under the nose of CIA and FBI, who would not suspect him, he sold information to the Soviet Union in April 1985 and earned $50,000.
In no time he pinpointed over ten sources of FBI and CIA who were spying on activities of Soviet Union. This resulted in a sudden waning of CIA agents in the Soviets. While the CIA sensed something wrong they were initially sceptical in considering a hand of a double agent.
CIA suspected Edward Lee Howard, their former agent, to be in this racket but as CIA lost three more agents about whom Howard had no knowledge, it became clear that someone else was behind all this.
In the meantime Aldrich Ames received around $4.6 million from the Soviets and started living a lavish life beyond the normal means of a CIA officer. In an attempt to cover up his present position he made up a story that he received a fortune from the wealthy Columbian family of his newly wedded wife María del Rosario. He would also send money to the new in-laws for improving their status to make his story look real.
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After a posting in Rome in 1986, he was taken back in the Counterintelligence Center Analysis Group of CIA during 1990 to 1991 when he had access to crucial information including that on American double agents.
When the CIA started probing on his finances, they were deflected by a CIA officer from abroad with a fake story that infiltration of the Soviets in the CIA was a result of a USSR born employee.
Although he passed two polygraph tests conducted in 1986 and 1991 respectively, the CIA became more vigilant when his extravagant lifestyle and sudden acquisition of movable and immovable properties became more visible, which did not match with his CIA income.
The CIA and FBI started a thorough investigation on him in March 1993 and after November 1993 he was kept under continuous surveillance including tracking his car.
On February 21, 1994 he was arrested along with his wife. The next day the ‘United States Department of Justice’ charged them for their espionage with the Soviet Union and Russia against the United States. He admitted his acts of espionage in the court. While he was given life sentence, his wife got a five year imprisonment.
He is now prisoner #40087-083 of the ‘Federal Bureau of Prisons’ who is facing his confinement in the ‘Allenwood U.S. Penitentiary’ under high security arrangements.
Personal Life
He married Nancy Segebarth, another CIA officer in 1969. As CIA prohibits married couples to work as officers in same office, Nancy resigned from the job after Aldrich Ames was posted to Ankara, Turkey.
When he was assigned to Mexico City in 1981, Nancy stayed back in New York. There he became involved in several extramarital affairs.
His affair with María del Rosario Casas Dupuy started in October 1982. He did not inform his superiors in the CIA about his relationship with a foreign national, although regulations of CIA demanded such disclosure.
In October 1983 he separated from his wife and officially divorced her around August 1985. Immediately after their divorce he married María. María supported him in his illicit activities.
His drinking habit often posed hindrances in his career and work with the CIA.
Facts About Aldrich Ames

Aldrich Ames was known for his exceptional skills as a CIA officer, having worked in intelligence operations for several years before his arrest.

Despite his betrayal of the United States by spying for the Soviet Union, Ames was described as a charming and affable individual by those who knew him.

Ames was known to have a fondness for expensive cars and luxury items, which ultimately contributed to his financial struggles and motivated his decision to spy for money.

Before his espionage activities were uncovered, Ames led a seemingly normal life with his wife and children in a suburban neighborhood, blending in seamlessly with his surroundings.

Ames' case remains a significant example of the importance of vigilance and security measures within intelligence agencies to prevent individuals from compromising national security.

See the events in life of Aldrich Ames in Chronological Order

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