A former CIA official is facing federal charges after being accused of stealing hundreds of gold bars from the agency and lying to superiors about his background.
Last week, the FBI arrested David Rush, a senior executive with a top-secret security clearance, whom prosecutors say stole 303 gold bars worth more than $40 million and stashed them at his Virginia home. Rush was charged with theft of public funds, according to a criminal complaint.
Rush worked for the CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology, which develops high-tech tools for espionage missions, according to the Washington Post. In addition to being accused of stealing the gold bars, Rush allegedly lied about having college and master’s degrees, about being a Navy pilot, and about being in the military reserves, allowing him to collect $77,000 in military leave pay.
During the FBI’s raid on Rush’s residence, agents seized the gold bars, around $2 million in cash, and 35 luxury watches, including Rolexes, according to the affidavit. The raid came after Rush asked the CIA for, and received, “a significant quantity of foreign currency and tens of millions of dollars in gold bars for work-related expenses” between November 2025 and March 2026, according to filings. Later, when the CIA couldn’t locate the bars in Rush’s office, it notified the FBI, leading the agency to execute a search warrant at the official’s property.
“After a CIA internal investigation identified potential violations of the law, CIA Director John Ratcliffe referred the information to the FBI for a law enforcement investigation,” an FBI spokesman told the Washington Examiner. “The FBI is working closely with our partners at the CIA and the Department of Justice as we continue to investigate this matter fully.”
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The search warrant appears to have been executed on May 18, and Rush was arrested the following day.
A hearing is scheduled for Friday in federal court in Virginia.
