Former CIA Officer Pleads Guilty in $200 Million Gold‑Bar Scam

David Rush, 49, a former senior CIA executive, has admitted to a sprawling fraud that siphoned $200 million from the U.S. government through forged contracts and the purchase of luxury real estate. At the time of his arrest, authorities discovered 298 gold bars, $2 million in cash, 35 luxury watches and two BMW vehicles in his home.

In the plea agreement Rush will pay restitution, surrender all confiscated assets, and will be charged with wire fraud. Prosecutors say he fabricated a classified program to justify the acquisition of high‑value properties in South Florida, then intended to resell them for personal profit. The indictment also alleges that Rush supplied classified information to an unauthorized foreign official, putting the safety of a human source and U.S. operations at risk.

A federal judge will set his sentence later (maximum 20 years). Rush was held in jail pending trial, with a hearing scheduled for January 28. The government claims substantial sums remain unaccounted for; Rush's lawyer disputes the extent of the alleged losses.

For more details, read the source at The Washington Post.