A former CIA official was arrested last week after FBI agents allegedly discovered more than $40 million worth of gold bars inside his home while investigating claims that he lied about his educational and military background, according to court records and sources familiar with the case.
David Rush is currently being held in jail as federal prosecutors and his defense attorneys continue reviewing evidence related to whether he should remain detained. Court filings show both sides jointly requested that Rush’s detention hearing be postponed until June 5 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
In a joint statement, the FBI and CIA said Rush was arrested after the CIA referred the matter to federal investigators following an internal review that uncovered “potential violations of law.”
The agencies said the investigation remains ongoing.
Rush has been charged with one count of stealing public money. In what court documents describe as an unusual criminal complaint, the FBI accuses him of taking the gold bars, “obtaining a fraudulently inflated salary and fraudulently obtaining military leave,” and making numerous false statements about his background.
The complaint does not clearly specify which alleged actions directly resulted in the criminal charge.
According to investigators, Rush allegedly submitted multiple requests between November 2025 and March 2026 seeking large amounts of foreign currency and tens of millions of dollars in gold bars for what he claimed were work-related expenses.
Sources confirmed Rush was employed by the CIA at the time. However, the agency later reportedly could not determine where the gold bars went or what they were intended to be used for.
When FBI agents searched Rush’s home on May 18, they allegedly discovered approximately 303 gold bars valued at more than $40 million, according to the complaint. Agents also reportedly recovered roughly $2 million in cash and 35 luxury watches.
Federal investigators further accuse Rush of lying to the U.S. Navy when he enlisted in 1997 by submitting transcripts and records that falsely claimed he earned an undergraduate degree from Clemson University.
Because of those alleged credentials, Rush was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy Reserves in 2004 before being honorably discharged in 2015.
The complaint states Rush later applied for federal employment on three separate occasions while claiming degrees from Clemson University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the Naval Postgraduate School. Investigators say he also listed those schools during his security clearance application process.
In 2018, Rush allegedly submitted an application to join the senior executive service in which he claimed to be a graduate of the United States Air Force Test Pilot School and the current director of testing for “a 145-person, 18-aircraft joint Army/Navy weapons test organization,” according to the complaint.
“The FBI’s investigation has revealed that Rush’s applications contained false information about his education background and work with the United States military,” the sworn statement accompanying the complaint says.
Investigators say Rush neither graduated from Clemson or RPI nor ever served as a Navy pilot.
The FBI also accused Rush of falsely claiming he remained in the Navy Reserves after his honorable discharge, allegedly allowing him to collect tens of thousands of dollars in military leave compensation.
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