ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A former CIA officer who allegedly stole $40 million in gold bars from the federal government and stashed it at his house in Virginia was ordered detained at a courtroom listening to Friday after a federal choose sided with prosecutors who argued the “grasp manipulator” posed a extreme danger of flight.
David Rush, who labored for 17 years on the company, has already been held since Could 19 in an Alexandria jail following an FBI raid on his Ashburn residence the day earlier than that uncovered the greater than 300 one-kilogram gold bars, in addition to $2 million in money and 35 high-end Rolexes and different watches.
The gold bars and foreign money had been requested for “work-related bills” between November 2025 and March 2026, in response to an FBI affidavit, which additionally famous that the 49-year-old had fibbed for years about his instructional and army background.
“Mr. Rush’s historical past and traits present that he’s a grasp manipulator,” argued Assistant US Lawyer Gavin Tisdale in Friday’s listening to, describing how the ex-spook had been “diversifying funds” to make them extra simply tradable.
The federal prosecutor famous that, along with the fabrications about his credentials, Rush had “lied about being a health care provider” and posed a severe danger of fleeing justice if he have been to be launched.
Jessica Carmichael, Rush’s protection legal professional, rejected prosecutors’ allegations in opposition to her consumer, suggesting the outline of the gold bars had been extremely sensationalized and “a non-issue.”
She additionally stated that he had been conscious he was beneath investigation earlier than the raid on his house.
“They have been in his basement locked in a safe manner your complete time he was being investigated,” Carmichael stated, including that Rush had directed FBI brokers to their location once they executed their search warrant.
“He was not imagined to have that supply of funds in his house,” countered Tisdale at one other level.
A felony criticism accompanying the affidavit, nevertheless, solely listed a cost associated to false statements on time sheets to acquire $77,000 in army depart as a Naval Reserve officer — regardless of being discharged greater than 11 years in the past.
Carmichael, in her remarks earlier than US District Courtroom Choose William Fitzpatrick, drew consideration to that truth, and described the cost as merely tens of 1000’s of {dollars} in “time card fraud.”
The protection lawyer additionally famous that prosecutors have but handy over details about what international foreign money Rush had obtained as a part of his work.
Carrying a inexperienced jumpsuit and a thicker beard than he had in his mugshot, Rush was remanded to the custody of the US Marshals shortly after Fitzpatrick ordered him detained because of his being susceptible to flight.
Fitzpatrick informed Carmichael that the detention would stay pending any additional motions by the protection in search of launch.
When being vetted for the CIA, Rush claimed he had a bachelor’s diploma from Clemson College, a grasp’s diploma from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Upstate New York and US Naval Take a look at Pilot certifications.
None of these claims have been true, an FBI particular agent famous within the affidavit, but he was employed by the company — after having beforehand didn’t get hold of employment twice earlier than.
Former CIA workers operations officer Tracy Walder beforehand informed The Put up that Rush’s potential to dupe company vetting, which is understood to be one of the crucial rigorous background checks within the US authorities, implies that he could have had co-conspirators.
Lawmakers on the Home and Senate Intelligence Committees have been rattled by the benefit with which he had penetrated the very best ranges of the CIA — after which made off with the loot.
“The Senate Intelligence Committee exists to conduct rigorous oversight of the Intelligence Neighborhood, together with making certain accountability when severe allegations of misconduct come up,” stated Rachel Cohen, a spokeswoman for Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
The Home panel has additionally demanded solutions from the CIA about Rush, who served most lately within the company’s Directorate of Science and Know-how, in response to an intel committee aide.
