Feds seize $40M gold hoard from ex-CIA agent’s house in Virginia
A former government official with a high-level security clearance was arrested after federal agents found hundreds of gold bars worth at least $40 million at his Virginia home, according to court records obtained by USA TODAY.
David Rush, accused of stealing public money, was arrested last week and remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing next week. His lawyer declined USA TODAY’s request for comment on May 27.
During a search of Rush’s Virginia home last week, FBI agents found 303 gold bars, each weighing about 2.2 pounds and estimated to be worth more than $40 million, FBI Special Agent Matthew Johnson wrote in an affidavit summarizing the case against Rush.
The documents describe Rush as a “former senior executive service level employee at a United States Government agency” who had top secret clearance and access to classified information. The New York Times reports that Rush worked for the Central Intelligence Agency.
The FBI seized gold bullion, nearly $2 million in cash, 35 Rolexes and other luxury watches from Rush’s home, Johnson wrote. However, the current charge Rush faces is not related to the gold or money seized from his home.
Here’s what we know about the case.
A government official with a high-level security clearance, identified by the New York Times as a CIA agent, faces federal charges after hundreds of gold bars were found in his home.
Why were authorities investigating David Rush?
The affidavit in his lawsuit states that between November 2025 and March of this year, Rush requested and received “significant amounts of foreign currency and tens of millions of dollars in gold bullion for business-related expenses.”
An inspection of the government storage area where Rush supposedly stored the bars and money found most of them missing, the affidavit said.
The records do not say why Rush needed so much gold and money for the business.
During the investigation, the affidavit states, the FBI learned that Rush lied about his academic credentials related to his government duties and fraudulently obtained $77,000 in military leave after lying about being an active member of the Navy Reserve.
The affidavit stated that Rush served in the Navy but was honorably discharged in 2015. It has been claimed that Rush will remain in the Navy Reserves for another 10 years, until 2025.
What does the CIA say about the incident?
The CIA’s media relations office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from USA TODAY late Wednesday.
In a joint statement to the New York Times, the CIA and FBI said an internal CIA investigation “identified possible violations of law” and that CIA Director John Ratcliffe therefore forwarded the information to the FBI for law enforcement investigation.
This article first appeared on USA TODAY: Feds seize $40 million in gold treasure from former CIA agent’s Virginia home
