David Rush, 49, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Virginia to a scheme that drained about $194 million from the US government.
The backstory: Rush reached a senior executive position at a federal agency in part by lying about his education and military experience, the Justice Department said, and he held a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information clearance.
Zoom in: He created fictitious government authorities, including a fabricated Special Access Program, to get US funds released to him, then directed roughly $145 million in wire transfers that paid for luxury real estate, watches and at least one car.
- FBI agents searching his Ashburn, Virginia, home on May 19 recovered 298 gold bars, about $2,106,550 in cash, 104,795 euros and numerous luxury watches.
- The gold alone had cost the government about $46 million.
What they're saying: "He robbed his country, not just of its treasury, but also of its faith," said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Theophani K. Stamos for the Eastern District of Virginia.
- CIA Director John Ratcliffe said an internal investigation identified potential crimes and the agency immediately referred the matter to the FBI.
What's next: Rush is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 28, 2027 and faces up to 20 years. He agreed to forfeit the gold and cash, the properties, 30 watches (many of them Rolexes) and two 2026 BMW Alpina vehicles.
Why it matters: One employee moved $194 million out of the federal government by writing his own paperwork. The Justice Department investigation continues, and the Director of National Intelligence has asked the intelligence community's inspector general to open one too.
