A former CIA officer pleaded guilty Tuesday in Virginia federal court to one count of wire fraud after admitting he defrauded the federal government of approximately $194 million and disclosed details about a clandestine U.S. intelligence source to a foreign official.
David J. Rush, 49, of Ashburn, Virginia, used his senior executive-level position and Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information clearance to create fictitious government authorities, including a fabricated Special Access Program, to obtain U.S. government funds for personal benefit. He directed roughly $145 million in wire transfers and acquired 298 gold bars at a cost to the government of about $46 million.
An FBI search of Rush’s residence on May 19, 2026, recovered the 298 gold bars, approximately $2.1 million in cash, foreign currency, and numerous luxury items. Under the plea agreement, Rush has agreed to forfeit the gold bars, currency, fraudulently obtained properties, 30 watches, and two 2026 BMW Alpina vehicles.
Rush also admitted disclosing “certain descriptive information of a U.S. government clandestine human source” that could endanger the safety and life of the source and the U.S. government officers working with the source. The disclosure jeopardized the government’s ability to recruit future human sources who rely on assurances of absolute secrecy. The country of the foreign official was not identified.
Investigators found that Rush lied about details of his education and military service record, which helped him rise to a top position in the CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology, where he had access to some of the nation’s most secret programs and served as a liaison to the Pentagon for sensitive military programs.
Rush faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for January 28, 2027. The Director of National Intelligence has requested that the Inspector General for the Intelligence Community initiate an investigation.
