Ex-CIA official reaches tentative plea deal after gold bars discovery

Former CIA official David Rush has reached a tentative plea agreement with federal prosecutors following charges that he fraudulently claimed tens of thousands of dollars in salary. The deal, announced in a joint court filing on September 11, 2026, aims to resolve the case before a formal indictment and avoid a trial that could involve sensitive classified material. Rush, a 49-year-old former executive-level employee in the CIA's Directorate of Science and Technology, was arrested in May 2026. He faces a single count of theft of public money for allegedly claiming 744 hours of military leave on his timesheets after his honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy in 2015. The fraudulent leave claims totaled approximately $77,000 in compensation, according to an FBI affidavit. The investigation into Rush uncovered a far more extensive alleged scheme. During a search of his Ashburn, Virginia home, investigators seized 303 gold bars valued at over $40 million, approximately $2 million in cash, and 35 luxury watches, many of them Rolexes. The FBI affidavit states Rush obtained the gold bars and foreign currency from the U.S.