

He really used that as a platform to gain access to people that might ultimately be in positions of authority. After graduating he remained active in the alumni circles. Todd Shelton: Heathfield had attended the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.
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Maria Ricci: Over the course of the investigation after observing and listening to them for so long … they were constantly talking about how to gain access to people in political circles and policy making circles. Todd Shelton: And … her attendance to Columbia was a huge opportunity for gaining access to the up and coming professionals in the U.S. Todd Shelton: In economic circles, financial circles, social circles, if you're looking for ways to show civil discontent, you might want a pulse of what's going on in the country at the time. Her work at a financial services industry gave them intelligence of value to the economists in Russia. Todd Shelton: Cynthia Murphy … really takes on a prominent role in the intelligence activities of that couple. "If you didn't know better, you would think this is the typical American family living out the typical American dream in the typical American neighborhood," Agent Shelton said. Cynthia and Richard Murphy lived in Montclair, N.J., where they were raising two children born in the U.S.

Maria Ricci: This is the business card from Marea Financial … This is Cindy Murphy's Columbia University ID card. His wife, Cindy, she was a financial planner and then ultimately got her MBA at Columbia University. And then he ended up becoming a stay-at-home dad. … He went to New School and got a degree … in public policy. Maria Ricci: Richard Murphy began his career as a computer consultant. Maria Ricci: When they first come to the United States, they're armed only with a birth certificate. With fake IDs and their backstory memorized, their assignments were to blend in with Americans. How did they learn how to do this? Where did they get the documentation? The inks were studied. Todd Shelton: The intelligence work - it's not all James Bond and sports cars. Todd Shelton: We were able to find some of the original documentation … through clandestine searches. birth certificate from the state of Pennsylvania and the state of New York, respectively. Todd Shelton: Richard and Cynthia Murphy are both fabricated people. Their new identity required new IDs and credentials. … I do know that traditionally … trained intelligence officers … are paired up … at Headquarters back in Moscow. Maria Ricci | FBI Special Agent: I don't have firsthand knowledge on when Richard and Cindy met … and became a husband and wife couple. The spies' identities, or backstory – known as a legend – was determined long before they set foot on American soil. … Keeping the children in the dark about what they're doing is a way to make sure that you keep their identity as secure as possible. Leon Panetta | Former CIA director: Their children have no idea. Todd Shelton: The Murphys had two children born in the United States. … We identified Richard and Cynthia Murphy, who were then living in Montclair, New Jersey. We had Donald Heathfield and Tracey Foley, who were working and operating in and around Boston. … We had Michael Zottoli and Patricia Mills, who had operated for a long time in the state of Washington and relocated to suburban Washington, D.C. Todd Shelton: Initially we focused on … Juan Lazaro and Vicky Peláez, who are living in Yonkers, New York.

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FBI agents bugged the spies' homes, followed their travels, and ultimately cracked their secret communications network. For more than a decade, the FBI focused on four couples living in a NYC suburb, Washington, DC, the Boston area, and Montclair, New Jersey. Wiretaps, electronic monitoring, intercepts of electronic communication … to learn … exactly what we were facing.īy 2000, the New York office of the FBI was leading an unprecedented investigation into Russian intelligence agents living in the United States potentially threatening national security. Todd Shelton: We look to use every tool in the FBI investigative toolbox. Todd Shelton | FBI Special Agent: When we first realized that we may have … Russian intelligence officers … operating in the United States … that became a critical threat that we needed to address. "Do they have contacts? Do they have access to classified information? … The risks…were astronomical." THE SPIES NEXT DOOR "You're always wondering, what are you missing?" says Ricci.
