Former CIA Officer Charged With Theft of Public Money After Gold Bars Found at Residence

Federal investigators charged former CIA officer David J. Rush with theft of public money after he allegedly created a fictitious Special Access Program to obtain more than $40 million in gold bars and other assets. Military.com reported that Rush, a former Senior Executive Service employee with Top Secret access, was arrested in May 2026 in the Eastern District of Virginia.

Court records state Rush persuaded at least two colleagues the program was legitimate and involved continuity-of-government planning. He allegedly convinced one colleague to move millions of dollars through a fraudulent contract between November 2025 and March 2026.

Investigators said Rush requested and received tens of millions of dollars in gold bars and foreign currency justified as work expenses.

On May 18, 2026, FBI agents searched Rush's Virginia residence and recovered 303 one-kilogram gold bars valued at more than $40 million, roughly $2 million in cash, and 35 luxury watches including multiple Rolex models. Prosecutors also allege Rush improperly received about $77,000 in military leave compensation.

com reported that Rush falsely claimed degrees from Clemson University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, neither of which could verify his attendance.

He also represented himself as a Navy pilot and test pilot despite military records showing no such service and the FAA finding no pilot certificate on file. Rush was honorably discharged from the Navy Reserve in February 2015 but continued claiming reserve status through at least September 2025.