FBI Arrests Ex-CIA Official After Finding Gold Bars Worth $40 Million in His Home: Report

AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File

A former senior CIA official was arrested by the FBI last week after law enforcement officials found hundreds of gold bars worth over $40 million in his home.

David Rush is described in court papers reviewed by The New York Times as a “former senior executive service-level employee at a United States government agency.” Sources told the outlet he held a high-level position in the CIA “until very recently.” Rush is facing charges of pocketing tens of thousands of dollars in military leave pay after forging time sheets, along with lying about his academic credentials and position within the military.

“The charging documents filed in Alexandria, Va., still leave a lot unanswered about his recent conduct,” The Times report reads.

The CIA and FBI confirmed the May 19 arrest in a joint statement claiming that the initial inquiry came from the intelligence agency.

“After a C.I.A. internal investigation identified potential violations of the law, C.I.A. Director John Ratcliffe referred the information to the F.B.I. for a law enforcement investigation,” read the statement.

Court papers outline a period from November to March where Rush made multiple requests for “a significant quantity of foreign currency and tens of millions of dollars in gold bars for work-related expenses.” The agency granted Rush’s requests, but was “unable to locate the gold bars or significant amounts of the foreign currency” when it attempted to track down the funds. The documents do not describe what expenses necessitated such a large quantity of gold.

An affidavit clarifies that Rush’s arrest came only after an FBI search of his home the previous day that found “approximately 303 gold bars, each of which weighed approximately one kilogram.” The document estimates the total gold Rush possessed was worth more than $40 million. Investigators also found $2 million in U.S. dollars and over thirty “luxury” watches.

A lawyer for Mr. Rush declined to give The Times a comment, while a woman answering the phone at Mr. Rush’s house hung up on a reporter for the outlet.

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