FBI Arrests Ex-CIA Official After Finding Gold Bars Worth $40 Million in His Home: Report

A former senior CIA official, David Rush, was arrested by the FBI after law enforcement found hundreds of gold bars worth more than $40 million in his home. Court papers allege he pocketed tens of thousands of dollars in military leave pay by forging time sheets and lied about academic credentials and his military position. The CIA confirmed that an internal investigation identified potential legal violations and referred the matter to the FBI. Records describe requests from November to March for large quantities of foreign currency and tens of millions of dollars in gold bars for work-related expenses, which the agency granted but could not later locate. The FBI search found about 303 gold bars, plus $2 million in U.S. dollars and more than thirty luxury watches.

"A former senior CIA official was arrested by the FBI last week after law enforcement officials found hundreds of gold bars worth over $40 million in his home. David Rush is described in court papers reviewed by The New York Times as a former senior executive service-level employee at a United States government agency. Sources told the outlet he held a high-level position in the CIA until very recently."

"Rush is facing charges of pocketing tens of thousands of dollars in military leave pay after forging time sheets, along with lying about his academic credentials and position within the military. The charging documents filed in Alexandria, Va., still leave a lot unanswered about his recent conduct, The Times report reads."

"The CIA and FBI confirmed the May 19 arrest in a joint statement claiming that the initial inquiry came from the intelligence agency. After a C.I.A. internal investigation identified potential violations of the law, C.I.A. Director John Ratcliffe referred the information to the F.B.I. for a law enforcement investigation, read the statement."

"Court papers outline a period from November to March where Rush made multiple requests for a significant quantity of foreign currency and tens of millions of dollars in gold bars for work-related expenses. The agency granted Rush's requests, but was unable to locate the gold bars or significant amounts of the foreign currency when it attempted to track down the funds. The document estimates the total gold Rush possessed was worth more than $40 million."

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