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Government & Politics — Public Safety

Former CIA official accused of stealing $40M in gold bars pleads guilty

Rush pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud during a hearing in Alexandria, Virginia, court records show.

,   and  The Associated Press
3 min read
This image provided by U.S. Department of Justice, and contained in a court filing, shows gold bars and cash that was seized from a David J. Rush's home, during a search on May 19, 2026, in Ashburn, Va. (AP Photo/Justice Department via AP)

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A former senior CIA official pleaded guilty on Tuesday in Virginia to a charge that he abused his position and government funds to enrich himself by acquiring Florida real estate and hundreds of gold bars worth over $40 million, according to court records.

David J. Rush fabricated a “highly classified” government program to justify the acquisition of luxury property in south Florida that he intended to resell for personal profit, according to a court filing. Rush separately concocted a bogus “sensitive government activity" to obtain the gold bars, the filing says.

Rush's fraudulent conduct cost the federal government approximately $194 million in total losses, according to the Justice Department.

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