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A former senior CIA official is accused of stealing more than 300 gold bars worth over $40 million from the federal government and keeping them at his Ashburn home.
David Rush, who held top secret-level clearance, was arrested and charged with theft of public money, according to federal court filings in Virginia.
An FBI agent’s affidavit says Rush requested and received a significant amount of foreign currency and tens of millions of dollars in gold bars between November and March, purportedly for work-related expenses. Investigators said his intended use for the assets remains unclear, although some were discovered in storage near his office.
Federal agents searched Rush’s home on May 18 and seized more than 300 gold bars with an estimated value exceeding $40 million. They also recovered approximately $2 million in U.S. currency and about 35 luxury watches, many of them Rolexes.
Rush was arrested the following day. The FBI affidavit says investigators have probable cause to believe he knowingly embezzled, stole or converted federal property for his personal use.
The FBI is investigating the case alongside the CIA and Department of Justice. Rush’s attorney declined to comment.
Court documents describe Rush only as a former Senior Executive Service-level employee at a federal agency. They do not specify his position at the CIA or when he left the agency.
The filings list Rush as an Ashburn resident and identify Fairfax County as the place of the alleged offense, possibly referring to the CIA’s headquarters in Langley.
The affidavit also alleges that Rush misrepresented his education and military history for years. Investigators said he falsely claimed to have been a Navy pilot and a graduate of Clemson University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
The FBI instead found that Rush enlisted in the Navy in 1997 and served in the Navy Reserve from 2004 until 2015, when he received an honorable discharge as a lieutenant. According to the affidavit, records do not indicate that he underwent pilot evaluations or attended either university.
Rush remains in custody pending a Friday hearing in federal court in Alexandria.