Ex-CIA official David Rush arrested after FBI finds $40 million in gold bars at home

The United States has arrested former senior CIA official David Rush after FBI agents found $40 million worth of gold bars at his Virginia home this month.

Agents also seized $2 million in cash and around 35 luxury watches, according to court documents. Rush was charged with theft of government money.

Who is David Rush and what is he accused of?

David Rush is a former senior US government employee who held top secret clearance and access to classified information, according to court filings. He is accused of stealing hundreds of gold bars and a significant sum of cash from a government storage facility. He was arrested on 19 May and charged with theft of government money.

The New York Times first reported Rush's CIA connection on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the investigation. A lawyer for Rush declined to comment to the Times.

How did Rush obtain the gold bars?

Between last November and this March, Rush made several requests to his employer for foreign currency and tens of millions of dollars in gold bars, claiming they were needed for work-related expenses. The affidavit says he received the cash and gold but provides no further detail on the stated purpose of those requests.

The gold and most of the cash were later found missing from a storage space at his workplace. That discovery triggered a search of his home, where agents recovered around 303 gold bars worth over $40 million.

What else did investigators find in the probe?

The FBI investigation also uncovered a pattern of alleged fraud unrelated to the gold. Rush is accused of providing false information in his job application, including lying about holding university degrees and serving as a navy pilot.

He also allegedly submitted fraudulent time sheets and claimed $77,000 in military leave pay by falsely stating he was a member of the navy reserves, according to the affidavit. Federal agents searched his home on 18 May, one day before his arrest.