Former CIA Officer Pleads Guilty to $200 Million Wire Fraud Scheme
Former CIA officer David Rush pleaded guilty in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia on October 7 to a $200 million wire-fraud scheme that used fabricated contracts, real-estate purchases and a hoard of gold bars, and agreed to restitution and forfeiture under the plea deal. Earlier, a federal court had set a hearing for a plea agreement after investigators discovered 303 gold bars valued at about $40 million (NBC News).
Rush later admitted to wire fraud and to revealing classified source information, saying he created fictitious classified programs to divert nearly $200 million in government funds (NBC News). He also agreed to forfeit assets worth roughly $194 million, including the gold and property (CBS News).