Davis Rush, ex-CIA official arrested for “stealing” $40 million in gold bullion from the US government | Today’s news
A former senior CIA official has been arrested after being accused of stealing hundreds of gold bars worth more than $40 million from the federal government that investigators found hidden in his Virginia residence.
David Rush, a CIA official with a top-secret clearance, was arrested last week and charged with felony theft of public funds, according to federal court filings. He is awaiting a detention hearing.
What are the charges against the CIA official?
According to The New York Times, citing court filings, the only allegation against Rush is that he inflated his academic degrees and received tens of thousands of dollars in military leave pay. Authorities say he falsely claimed to be a member of the Navy Reserve when he was discharged.
From November to March, Rush solicited and received “substantial amounts of foreign currency and tens of millions of dollars in gold bullion for labor costs,” according to an affidavit from an FBI agent investigating the case.
The affidavit states that it is unclear what Rush intended to use the funds for, but that some of them were found in a warehouse near his office.
The FBI affidavit concluded that there was probable cause to believe that Rush “knowingly embezzled, stole, stole, or knowingly transferred a thing of United States value” for his personal use.
The FBI said it was cooperating with the CIA and the Justice Department in the investigation.
Rush’s attorney declined to comment.
What did the feds find in the CIA official’s headquarters?
Federal officials searched his home on May 18 and seized more than 300 gold bars with an estimated value of more than $40 million, the affidavit said.
They also seized about $2 million in US currency and about 35 luxury watches, many of which were Rolexes. Rush was arrested the next day, the FBI said.
Who is David Rush?
David Rush’s role at the CIA and when he left the agency are unclear, the AP reported. However, according to the NYT report, “until recently” he held a senior position in the CIA.
He was described in court filings simply as a “former service-level employee of a United States government agency.”
The FBI affidavit also states that Rush apparently lied about his education and military background for years. The bureau’s investigation found that he falsely claimed to be a Navy pilot and to have graduated from Clemson University in South Carolina and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York.
Instead, they found he enlisted in the Navy in 1997 and then served in the U.S. Navy Reserves from 2004 to 2015, when he was honorably discharged as a lieutenant. The affidavit states that he does not appear to have passed any pilot ratings and attended any college during that time.
Rush is being held pending a hearing Friday in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia.