Former CIA official found with gold bars reaches tentative plea deal after charge of salary theft

Alexandria, Va. (AP) — A former CIA official, David J. Rush, who was discovered with $40 million in gold bars at his residence, has reached a tentative plea agreement following charges of theft involving the fraudulent increase of his salary, as per court documents. The federal judge extended the deadline for formally indicting Rush to October 8, allowing for the finalization of the plea deal and the avoidance of a public trial that could have entailed substantial litigation over classified materials.

The charges against Rush were filed in May, stemming from allegations that he fraudulently reported 744 hours of military leave on his timecards after his honorable discharge from the Navy and falsely claimed degrees from Clemson University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. According to an FBI affidavit, law enforcement officers seized approximately 300 gold bars, worth over $40 million, along with around $2 million in U.S. currency and 35 luxury watches from Rush's home, which he claimed to have obtained for "work-related expenses."