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

David J. Rush, a former Central Intelligence Agency officer, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud after U.S. prosecutors say he created a fabricated top-secret program to divert nearly $200 million in government funds and assets to himself. According to the Department of Justice, Rush misrepresented his education and military background to secure a CIA position and then used the access and authority from that role to set up a compartmentalized special access program intended to hide his activities. Court filings allege Rush constructed the program in 2025 under the cover of a continuity-of-government plan, a type of highly restricted operation designed to maintain government functions during catastrophic events. Prosecutors say he used the bogus program and a fake government contract to trick an unnamed defense contractor into purchasing large amounts of gold, which Rush then kept. Law enforcement recovered more than $46 million worth of gold bars at his home during his arrest, along with vehicles, watches, and over $2 million in cash. Filings further state that Rush’s position gave him significant control over intelligence program spending and that he “effectively acted as his own approving official,” allowing him to move substantial government funds without meaningful oversight. Earlier reporting identified his unit as one that develops hacking tools and techniques; prosecutors described the program he exploited as a highly compartmentalized special access program into which very few people are read. Rush’s plea avoids a trial that could have required public disclosure of sensitive information about how he bypassed vetting and oversight. He is scheduled to be sentenced in late January 2027 and faces a statutory maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison.