A former senior CIA official is accused of lying about his academic credentials and military experience before joining the agency with top secret-level clearance. Then, while in his role, he allegedly stole $40 million in gold bars and other valuables.
David Rush was arrested and charged last week with criminal theft of public money, but his crimes date back years.
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False education, military background
An affidavit says Rush lied for years about his education and military background. When he applied to the CIA, he claimed he was a former Navy pilot who graduated from Clemson University in South Carolina and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York.
But FBI agents recently determined that Rush enlisted in the Navy in 1997 and served in the U.S. Navy Reserve from 2004 to 2015, before he was honorably discharged as a lieutenant. According to an affidavit filed in federal court in Virginia, he apparently never underwent pilot evaluations and did not attend either college.
Nevertheless, the FBI said, he became a “senior executive service-level employee at a United States government agency.”
At the CIA, he received an inflated salary and military leave.
In a statement to ABC News, the CIA and FBI said an internal CIA investigation led to the FBI investigation. But what specifically prompted officials to look into Rush remains unclear.
The statement did not address how Rush managed to deceive the CIA about his background, even though the agency is known for its rigorous examinations of new hires.
Gold bars, cash and luxury watches
During his time with the CIA, Rush requested and received a “significant quantity of foreign currency and tens of millions of dollars in gold bars for work-related expenses,” an FBI affidavit says.
Those funds, however, did not go to work-related expenses. Instead, the FBI said agents found more than 300 gold bars and other valuables at Rush’s home, including 35 luxury watches and $2 million in U.S. currency.
One day after the discovery, FBI agents arrested Rush, and he’s now in custody pending a hearing on Friday in federal court.
“The FBI is working closely with our partners at the CIA and the Department of Justice as we continue to investigate this matter fully,” an FBI spokesperson said in a statement to ABC. “We are committed to following the facts, ensuring accountability, and pursuing justice in accordance with the law.”
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