A former CIA executive service-level employee, David Rush, was arrested and charged with stealing public money after an FBI search warrant found hundreds of gold bars and foreign currency missing from a government storage office. The allegations claim 303 bullion bars, each about 2.2 pounds, and more than $2 million in foreign currency were taken. The search of his home in eastern Virginia also reportedly uncovered 35 luxury watches, including many Rolex models. A judge delayed his first court appearance to next week while he remained in custody. The theft charge is tied to alleged falsification of educational and military service credentials used to obtain the CIA job, along with alleged timecard fraud involving claimed military leave and rank misrepresentations.
"David Rush, a former executive service-level employee for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), is alleged to have taken 303 bullion bars, each weighing 2.2lb (1kg), and more than $2m in foreign currency, from his government office, according to an eight-page FBI affidavit. He was arrested last week and charged with stealing public money after a search warrant executed at his home in the eastern district of Virginia also turned up 35 luxury watches, many of them Rolex."
"On or around November 2025 through on or around March 2026, Rush made several requests to the [United States government] to obtain a significant quantity of foreign currency and tens of millions of dollars in gold bars for work-related expenses, FBI special agent Matthew Johnson wrote in the criminal complaint, filed in US district court in the eastern district of Virginia. The document did not explain what Rush intended to do with the gold and cash, which was discovered missing from an office he used at a government storage space."
"The theft of public money charge relates not to the bullion or currency, but to the allegation that Rush falsified his educational qualifications and military service to secure his job with the CIA, which he joined in 2009 and secured top secret/secure compartmented information clearance, according to the FBI. Rush is also alleged to have committed timecard fraud."
"Since being honorably discharged in February 2015, Rush has claimed 744 hours of military leave on his official timesheet, representing approximately $77,000 in compensation, Johnson wrote, adding that Rush left the navy as a lieutenant but represented himself in the navy reserves as a captain."
Read at www.theguardian.com
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