Ex-CIA Official Charged with Stealing $40M in Gold Bars

David J. Rush, a former senior Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) official with top-secret clearance, was arrested after FBI agents discovered approximately $40 million worth of gold bars, along with $2 million in cash and 35 luxury watches at his Virginia home. According to court records and sources familiar with the matter, Rush is accused of lying about his educational background and military service while working for the CIA.

The FBI's investigation revealed that between November 2025 and March 2026, Rush made several requests to obtain large amounts of foreign currency and gold bars for work-related expenses. The CIA was unable to locate these items or determine their intended use. When agents searched his home on May 18, they found approximately 303 gold bars, each weighing about 1kg, valued at over $40 million, along with the cash and watches.

Rush is currently being held in jail while both defense attorneys and federal prosecutors gather additional information to assist the court in determining whether he should remain detained. His detention hearing has been postponed until June 5 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, as reported by CBS News. The FBI and CIA have confirmed they are continuing their investigation into the matter.

The criminal complaint filed against Rush accuses him of stealing public money, obtaining a fraudulently inflated salary, and making false statements about his background. According to court documents cited by BBC, Rush claimed to be a graduate of Clemson University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute when applying for government jobs and security clearance. However, investigations found he did not graduate from either institution.

The FBI also accused Rush of lying about his military service, claiming he was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy Reserves in 2004 and served until 2015. According to Fox News, Rush allegedly posed as a highly decorated Navy Reserve captain and Air Force test pilot to swindle the government out of tens of millions of dollars.

The FBI affidavit concludes that there's probable cause to believe that Rush 'knowingly embezzled, stole, purloined, or knowingly converted a thing of value of the United States' for his personal use. It is not clear what role Rush had at the CIA or when he left the agency.

According to The Washington Post, USA Today and NBC News, Rush also claimed about $77,000 of paid military leave for which he wasn't entitled. The Federal Aviation Administration has no pilot's license registered to Rush. Rush is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and waived his right to a preliminary hearing.

According to The Los Angeles Times, federal officials searched Rush’s home on May 18 and seized more than 300 gold bars with an estimated value of over $40 million, according to the affidavit. They also seized roughly $2 million in U.S. currency and some 35 luxury watches, many of them Rolexes.

According to The Guardian, Rush was denied bond and the magistrate judge William Fitzpatrick agreed to postpone a detention hearing until June 5. A joint statement from the CIA and the FBI said Rush was arrested on May 19 after an internal investigation identified potential violations of the law.