A former high-ranking CIA official who allegedly lied about his credentials to secure $77,000 in fraudulent military leave payments was exposed after FBI agents reportedly uncovered a massive fortune hidden inside his Virginia home, including gold bars valued at about $40 million.
According to court documents, federal agents raided the home of David Rush last week and discovered 303 gold bars, $2 million in cash, and nearly three dozen luxury Rolex watches.
Rush, who until recently served as a “senior executive service-level employee” at the CIA, allegedly requested the large quantity of gold and foreign currency for “work-related expenses” between November and March.
A routine audit by the agency later revealed that the assets were missing from official custody, prompting the CIA director to refer the matter to federal investigators.
The FBI, in a statement, said: “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.”
“The FBI is working closely with our partners at the CIA and the Department of Justice as we continue to investigate this matter fully,” the statement added.
Before the raid, federal officials reportedly inspected a storage area in Rush’s office that was used to keep work-related funds.
“Only a portion of the currency he received remained in the storage space,” the court affidavit stated.
Rush is currently charged with falsifying his academic and military background to fraudulently obtain military leave pay from the government after allegedly claiming to be a member of the Navy Reserve.
According to investigators, Rush fabricated significant portions of his background while securing a senior executive service role within the federal government.
Court documents stated that although Rush enlisted in the Navy in 1997 and was honorably discharged in 2015, he never joined any other branch of the U.S. military afterward.
After leaving the Navy, Rush allegedly falsely claimed to hold active Captain status in order to receive $77,000 in unearned military leave benefits while also earning an inflated executive salary.
Investigators also said Rush claimed to have earned a mathematics degree from Clemson University and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, but school registrars reportedly found no record of him attending either institution.
He further claimed to possess certifications from the U.S. Air Force and Naval Test Pilot Schools. However, FAA and military records allegedly showed that he did not hold a pilot’s license and had instead worked in IT-related roles, among others.
Rush is currently being held in federal custody.
