Former CIA Science Officer Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud After Gold Bar Hoard Discovered

A former senior officer of the CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology pleaded guilty to a single count of wire fraud and admitted to disclosing details about a covert human source to a foreign official. The plea hearing revealed that the defendant, David Rush, had disclosed “certain descriptive information of a U.S. government clandestine human source” that could endanger the source and U.S. officials, according to court documents.

Rush, who was arrested in May, faced a potential 20-year prison term and is scheduled for sentencing on Jan. 28. He had been placed on leave before his arrest and subsequently terminated from the agency. Prosecutors said he fabricated a highly classified program to divert tens of millions of dollars in government funds for personal use, including luxury real estate in Florida and private charter flights.

During a search of his Alexandria, Virginia, residence, agents seized roughly 300 gold bars, about $2 million in cash and 35 luxury watches. Rush claimed the gold was for an official purpose, but investigators found no legitimate justification. He also transferred $145 million to a holding company for four luxury properties and vehicles, falsely asserting that senior officials had approved the expenditures.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Hakala said Rush used his position to “effectively act as his own approving official, enabling him to expend substantial amounts of United States government money without meaningful scrutiny.”

The case has prompted an internal investigation by the intelligence community’s watchdog, and it has drawn attention to Rush’s prior work as a liaison to the Pentagon. While a senior Defense Department official, Steve Feinberg, was seen in video footage with Rush, the Pentagon has stated that Feinberg is not under investigation and there is no indication he was aware of the alleged misconduct.

U.S. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff approved the plea agreement, concluding the proceedings that had been delayed while negotiations took place.