Ex-CIA officer accused of stealing 300 gold bars worth $40m

A former senior CIA official with top secret-level clearance has been accused of stealing hundreds of gold bars worth more than $40m (£29.6m) and stashing them in his home. 

David Rush was arrested and charged with criminal theft of public money last week, court documents show, after more than 300 gold bars were seized from his home in Virginia earlier this month.

Officials also confiscated about $2m (£1.5m) in cash as well as dozens of luxury watches, according to an FBI affidavit.

The bureau, which is working with the CIA and US Department of Justice in its investigation, alleges that - from November to March - Rush requested and received a "significant quantity of foreign currency and tens of millions of dollars in gold bars for work-related expenses".

It claims Rush "knowingly embezzled, stole, purloined, or knowingly converted a thing of value of the United States" for his personal use, but that it remains unclear exactly what Rush intended to use the money for.

A portion of the funds were discovered in a storage space near his office, authorities said.

Rush is currently being held in custody pending a hearing in federal court in Alexandria on Friday. His lawyers are yet to comment.

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Fabricated backstory

It is not clear what role Rush had at the CIA or when he left the agency. Court documents describe him as a "former senior executive service-level employee at a United States government agency".

The FBI said Rush appears to have lied for years about his education and military background, with the bureau alleging he falsely claimed to be a US navy pilot who had graduated from Clemson University in South Carolina and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York.

An investigation instead found Rush had enlisted in the navy in 1997 and served in the navy reserves from 2004 until 2015, when he was he was honourably discharged as a lieutenant.

The bureau's statement indicates Rush had not undergone any evaluations as a pilot during that time, and it claims he did not attend either university.

(c) Sky News 2026: Ex-CIA officer accused of stealing 300 gold bars worth $40m