CIA officer admits to creating fake top secret government program to steal over $190 million, including gold bars

Former CIA officer, David J. Rush, has admitted to stealing nearly $200 million, including hundreds of gold bars, through a fraudulent scheme disguised as a top-secret government program. U.S. Department of Justice confirmed Rush's guilty plea to one count of wire fraud, linked to the creation and operation of the fabricated program while he served as a CIA officer.

In a statement, prosecutors revealed Rush lied about his educational background and military experience to secure a position at the CIA. Using his access as a government employee, Rush established a highly compartmentalized program with the intention of funneling U.S. government funds into his own possession. During his arrest, law enforcement discovered over $46 million worth of gold bars, along with vehicles, watches, and more than $2 million in cash.

Rush, until recently a senior CIA officer, worked for a division of the agency since 2010 that develops hacking tools and techniques for espionage. He had significant authority over government intelligence programs and spending. Rush fabricated a so-called special access program, which are extremely sensitive surveillance or intelligence-gathering operations that only a select few are granted access to.

The program was set up under the guise of a fake "continuity of government" plan, designed to maintain government function during wartime, natural disasters, or other catastrophic events. The case shocked officials as Rush's duties involved working on one of the government's most sensitive intelligence-gathering programs, with details so classified that only a few senior U.S. intelligence officials and lawmakers were aware of its existence.

The Washington Post withheld details of that program from publication to prevent jeopardizing ongoing intelligence-gathering operations. Rush faces up to 20 years in prison upon sentencing in late January 2027.