This image provided by the U.S. Department of Justice and contained in a court filing shows gold bars and cash seized from the home of David J. Rush during a search May 19, 2026, in Ashburn, Virginia.
US Department of Justice via AP
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US Department of Justice via AP
WASHINGTON — A former top CIA official pleaded guilty Tuesday in Virginia to a charge that he abused his position and government funds to enrich himself by acquiring Florida real estate and hundreds of gold bars worth more than $40 million, according to court records.
David J. Rush fabricated a “highly classified” government program to justify the acquisition of a luxury property in South Florida that he intended to resell for personal profit, according to a court filing. Rush separately concocted a fake “sensitive government activity” to obtain the gold bars, the filing says.
Rush’s fraudulent conduct cost the federal government approximately $194 million in total losses, according to the Justice Department. The losses included more than $1.8 million in private chartered flights that Rush authorized for personal use at government expense.
Under questioning by investigators, Rush admitted to providing a foreign government official with information about the identity of a secret U.S. government source, according to a new court filing. The filing does not specify which country the foreign official represented.
Prosecutors also accuse Rush of lying to colleagues and government contractors about his military and academic credentials and the fake program he invented, falsely claiming it was authorized by senior U.S. officials.
“Rush used his lawful governmental authority and fabricated personal good faith to create trust in his instructions,” the court filing states.
Rush, 49, of Ashburn, Virginia, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, according to court records. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff is scheduled to sentence Rush on Jan. 28 in Alexandria, Virginia.
Several months ago, Rush attempted to fraudulently authorize the release of $100 million from a government contract, according to the court filing Tuesday. He directed someone else to transfer about $145 million to a holding company created at his direction, then used those funds to acquire four “luxury” properties in Palm Beach and Hobe Sound, Fla., the filing says.
In previous court filings, prosecutors said Rush hid about $46 million in gold bullion from the federal government in his Virginia home. They also accused him of fraudulently claiming tens of thousands of dollars in military leave compensation after he was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy in 2015.
“Federal employees are responsible for serving the American people, not themselves,” Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe said the agency immediately referred the matter to the FBI after an internal investigation uncovered evidence of Rush’s crimes.
“David Rush abused his position and betrayed the public trust and should be held fully accountable for his actions,” Ratcliffe said in a statement.
Rush was arrested after investigators searched his home and seized approximately 300 gold bars, approximately $2 million in U.S. currency and approximately 35 luxury watches, according to an FBI agent’s affidavit. A judge ordered Rush held without bail after his first court appearance earlier this year.
At a June hearing, defense attorney Jessica Carmichael said Rush was not initially charged with crimes related to the discovery of the gold bars, which she called “basically a non-issue” and “nothing more than a sensational tidbit.” She said her client had properly obtained the gold bars and kept them locked in a safe in his basement.
“Mr. Rush never claimed they belonged to him,” Carmichael said.
Carmichael declined to comment on Rush’s guilty plea after Tuesday’s hearing.
Authorities say Rush lied about his education and military background on job applications, falsely claiming to be a former Navy pilot with a bachelor’s degree from Clemson University in South Carolina and a master’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York.
Investigators determined he did not serve as a pilot in the Navy and did not attend either school. Rush enlisted in the Navy in 1997 and was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy Reserve as a lieutenant in 2015, according to the FBI affidavit.
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