Ex-CIA agent stashed 300 gold bars, $2 million cash at home, arrested
Former CIA official David Rush was arrested after the FBI found gold bars, cash and luxury watches at his Virginia home. The case stems from missing government assets and has also prompted scrutiny of claims about his education and military service.
A former senior US government official with top-secret clearance has been arrested after federal agents discovered hundreds of gold bars, millions of dollars in cash and dozens of luxury watches inside his Virginia home in the United States.
David Rush, the former CIA official, was arrested on May 19, according to a joint statement released by the CIA and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He faces charges of criminal theft of public money after investigators accused him of secretly taking government assets meant for official use. He is in custody ahead of a court hearing in Alexandria, Virginia, reported BBC.
Court documents show that FBI agents seized more than 300 gold bars weighing about one kilogram each. Authorities estimated the value of the gold at more than $40 million based on current market prices.
Agents also found nearly $2 million in cash along with 35 luxury watches, including several Rolex models.
300 KG GOLD REQUESTS RAISED SUSPICIONS
According to an FBI affidavit, Rush repeatedly requested large amounts of foreign currency and gold bars from the US government between November 2025 and March 2026. The requests were reportedly approved because they were described as necessary for "work-related expenses".
Investigators later discovered that the CIA could not account for the gold or large amounts of the foreign currency. The affidavit states that officials were unable to find records explaining where the assets went or whether Rush had returned them after use.
That triggered an internal CIA review, which eventually led CIA Director John Ratcliffe to refer the matter to the FBI for a criminal investigation.
The FBI later searched Rush's property and uncovered what prosecutors describe as evidence of large-scale theft of government property.
"The FBI affidavit concludes that there's probable cause to believe that Rush 'knowingly embezzled, stole, purloined, or knowingly converted a thing of value of the United States' for his personal use," the filing stated.
FBI PROBE EXPOSES FALSE CLAIMS
The investigation has also raised questions about Rush's past and the information he allegedly provided while working in government service. Court filings accuse him of falsely claiming he graduated from Clemson University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Investigators also said he misrepresented parts of his military career.
According to the FBI, Rush claimed he served as a Navy pilot. However, investigators found that while he did serve in the Navy and later in the Navy Reserve, there was no evidence he ever qualified as a pilot.
The affidavit said Rush served in the reserves until 2015 and was discharged as a lieutenant. Authorities also accused him of improperly taking military leave while collecting thousands of dollars in government pay.
Despite the growing allegations, many details about Rush's exact role inside the CIA remain unclear. Court documents identify him only as a former senior executive-level employee at a US government agency.