https://www.zerohedge.com/poli...ash-stashed-his-home

In what may be the most bizarre story of the week, if not all of 2026, the NYTimes reports that a senior CIA official was arrested last week after investigators found hundreds of gold bars worth over $40 million stashed in his Virginia residence, a non-fiat fortune that he apparently brought home from work, according to court papers.

The CIA official, David Rush, is being held in jail while he awaits a detention hearing in the coming days on charges of stealing public money by filling out fraudulent time sheets. But, as the NYT admits, the charging documents filed in Alexandria, Va., still leave a lot unanswered about his recent conduct.

The only formal charge lodged against Rush is that he inflated his academic credentials and obtained military leave pay worth tens of thousands of dollars. The authorities say he falsely claimed to be a member of the Navy Reserve when he was discharged.



More at link

The NYTimes article:

F.B.I. Arrests C.I.A. Official With $40 Million in Gold Bars in His Home

The only charge lodged against David Rush is that he inflated his academic credentials and obtained military leave pay worth tens of thousands of dollars.

A senior C.I.A. official was arrested last week after investigators found hundreds of gold bars worth over $40 million stashed in his Virginia residence, a small fortune that he apparently brought home from work, according to court papers.

The official, David Rush, is being held in jail while he awaits a detention hearing in the coming days on charges of stealing public money by filling out fraudulent time sheets. The charging documents filed in Alexandria, Va., still leave a lot unanswered about his recent conduct.

The only charge lodged against Mr. Rush is that he inflated his academic credentials and obtained military leave pay worth tens of thousands of dollars. The authorities say he falsely claimed to be a member of the Navy Reserve when he was discharged.

The court papers describe Mr. Rush as a “former senior executive service-level employee at a United States government agency.” People familiar with the investigation say he until very recently held a senior position at the C.I.A.

In a joint statement, the C.I.A. and F.B.I. said the arrest occurred on May 19, after the agency alerted the bureau.

“After a C.I.A. internal investigation identified potential violations of the law, C.I.A. Director John Ratcliffe referred the information to the F.B.I. for a law enforcement investigation,” the statement said.

A lawyer for Mr. Rush declined to comment. A woman answering the phone at Mr. Rush’s house hung up on a reporter.

From last November to March, the court papers say, Mr. Rush asked for, and received, “a significant quantity of foreign currency and tens of millions of dollars in gold bars for work-related expenses.”

When the C.I.A. conducted a review of where the gold and currency were stashed, the agency was “unable to locate the gold bars or significant amounts of the foreign currency,” according to court papers.

On May 18, F.B.I. agents searched Mr. Rush’s home and found “approximately 303 gold bars, each of which weighed approximately one kilogram,” according to an affidavit. Based on the price of gold, the affidavit said, the estimated value of the gold exceeded $40 million. Investigators also seized nearly three dozen luxury watches, many of them Rolexes.

The court papers do not indicate why Mr. Rush appears to have kept so much gold, and $2 million in U.S. currency, in his home, or what work project would have required him to amass such wealth.

Where is NCIS when we need them?

Guy made a career out of lying.

More from CBS:

Ex-CIA official arrested after $40M in gold bars allegedly found inside his home

Excerpt:

“The FBI also accused Rush of lying to the U.S. Navy when he enlisted in 1997 by providing them with transcripts and other records falsely indicating he had earned an undergraduate degree from Clemson University. Because of his ostensible degree, Rush was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy Reserves in 2004 and was honorably discharged in 2015.

The complaint says he then applied for employment with the federal government three times, citing degrees from Clemson University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Naval Postgraduate School. He also listed those schools when he applied for his security clearance.

Later, in 2018, he submitted an application to enter senior executive service and claimed to be a graduate of the United States Air Force Test Pilot School, as well as the current director of test for a 145-person, 18-aircraft joint Army/Navy weapons test organization, the complaint says.

"The FBI's investigation has revealed that Rush's applications contained false information about his education background and work with the United States military," the sworn statement accompanying the complaint says, noting that he did not graduate from Clemson or RPI, and never served as a pilot for the Navy.

The FBI also accused Rush of telling the government he was in the Navy Reserves even though he had been honorably discharged, allowing him to claim tens of thousands of dollars in compensation for military leave.”

And to think way back I'd get a ration of crap for deviating a bit from my route of travel using a government vehicle or rental car....

How the heck did this guy make it so long lying and nobody caught him? How do we have confidence that the same people who should have caught him are finding the spies within their own ranks?

I’m sure this guy is just one of many

I think the most appalling thing is he lied his way that high. I've had 2 friends join the CIA, and they were very thorough in their interviews.

quote:

Originally posted by limblessbiff:
I’m sure this guy is just one of many

Yup - looking at you Gov of VA

On a side note, a guy with the same name, David Rush, holds the record for the most records in the Guinness Book of World Records at 350+.

I wonder how many people did something similar and never got caught?

Imagine how much Brennan, Clapper and Comey have stashed away.


.

Did the bars have a picture of a Balinese Dancer on them?...

quote:

The only charge lodged against Mr. Rush is that he inflated his academic credentials and obtained military leave pay worth tens of thousands of dollars. The authorities say he falsely claimed to be a member of the Navy Reserve when he was discharged.

The court papers describe Mr. Rush as a “former senior executive service-level employee at a United States government agency.” People familiar with the investigation say he until very recently held a senior position at the C.I.A.

There's probably a reason they went after this guy... I wonder who he pissed off?
But, yeah, likely just the tip of the iceberg.

Is this shit going to roll uphill? Who signed off on the release of millions of dollars in gold? One would think there would be some paperwork involved.

My thoughts exactly. Was this supposed to be used as a bribe with a foreign nation and this guy decided to keep it for himself?

I’m just amazed that it was still at his house by the time they executed the search warrant.

quote:

Originally posted by honestlou:
I’m just amazed that it was still at his house by the time they executed the search warrant.

It wouldn’t be easy to convert $40 million worth of gold bullion to liquid assets.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:

quote:

Originally posted by honestlou:
I’m just amazed that it was still at his house by the time they executed the search warrant.

It wouldn’t be easy to convert $40 million worth of gold bullion to liquid assets.

My math at $4500 an ounce with 14.5 troy oz. per pound is just over 600 pounds of gold. Just carrying it somewhere seems excessive. Uncut gems seems easier to store/hide for all you budding traitors out there. Work smarter, not harder.

Whatever happened to checking in on Fort Knox to see how much gold is there. Or do they know how much is missing and don’t want people to freak out.