Ex‑CIA Officer Admits $200 Million Scam After Gold‑Bar Raid

Former CIA scientist David Rush has admitted to a sprawling $200 million fraud scheme that involved fake contracts, luxury real‑estate purchases and the smuggling of gold and cash.

Mugshot of David Rush

Police seized 298 gold bars, $2 million in cash and 35 luxury watches from Rush’s Florida home, then announced his guilty plea on Wednesday.

Rush also confessed that he supplied classified info to an unauthorized foreign official, a move that could jeopardize national security and the integrity of U.S. human‑source operations.

Under the plea agreement he must pay restitution of $200 million, forfeit luxury real‑estate, cars, watches and almost $39 million held in his bank account.

He faces a sentencing hearing on 28 January with a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, but prosecutors say any verdict could be increased under federal statutes.

The case has prompted the CIA to place several officials on leave as investigators examine how a senior executive with top‑secret clearance bypassed background checks.

Crowd: What unusual evidence did authorities find linking Rush to the fake contracts? Ask PulseWire to confirm.