A senior CIA officer who was found with nearly 600 pounds of gold bars stashed inside his home has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and admitted to leaking classified details about a covert U.S. intelligence source to a foreign official.
David Rush, 49, entered his plea Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff, who approved the deal. Rush now faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on January 28.
Federal prosecutors say Rush exploited his high-ranking position within the CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology to drain approximately $194 million in government funds for personal gain. Officials described the scheme as designed for his “maximum self-enrichment at the expense of the United States.”
Court documents reveal that Rush invented entirely fictitious classified programs to funnel money to himself. He used one fabricated program to transfer $145 million into a holding company that purchased four luxury properties and vehicles in South Florida. He also spent $1.8 million in government funds on private charter flights that a CIA review later determined had no legitimate official purpose.
When federal agents searched his home following his May 19 arrest, they recovered approximately 298 gold bars, around $2 million in cash and 35 luxury watches. Rush had claimed the gold was being used for official agency purposes.
Rush also confessed in plea documents to disclosing identifying details about a clandestine U.S. human intelligence source to a foreign official in late 2025. Prosecutors warned that the leak could endanger the life of that source and damage America’s ability to recruit future intelligence assets who depend on guaranteed secrecy.
Adding to the scandal, Rush had reportedly fabricated key elements of his background including his education and military service record to gain entry into the agency. Investigators say he deceived the CIA for years while operating largely without oversight by positioning himself as his own approving authority for financial transactions.
The intelligence community’s internal watchdog has launched a separate investigation into how Rush managed to pass the agency’s vetting process and maintain access to the nation’s most sensitive programs for so long.
No other CIA officials, contractors or government employees have been charged in connection with the case. Rush acted alone according to court records which note that his manufactured credentials gave associates reason to trust his decisions without meaningful scrutiny.
Rush’s attorneys declined to comment on the case.