Plea hearing set for former CIA officer who allegedly had gold bars in his home
David Rush has been behind bars as a flight risk since he was detained in June.
A plea hearing has been set for Tuesday for the former CIA officer accused of keeping $40 million worth of gold bars in his house, according to court records.
David Rush is accused of stealing money from the government and lying about his academic credentials and military experience, according to a federal complaint unsealed earlier this year.
During the investigation, FBI agents found more than 300 gold bars estimated to be worth more than $40 million and other valuables at the defendant's Virginia residence, according to the affidavit.
Rush has been charged with theft of public money, according to a complaint filed in federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia.
The affidavit describes Rush as a "former Senior Executive Service level employee at a United States Government agency" with a top secret-level clearance. He was a CIA officer, according to a source familiar with the case.
The affidavit alleges Rush fraudulently obtained an inflated salary and military leave by lying about his qualifications and experience.
Rush was ordered detained pending trial in June by a federal judge in Virginia and prosecutors detailed a damning track record of alleged lies that the government said only grew by the day as the FBI and intelligence community continue their investigation.
Gavin Tisdale, a federal prosecutor, claimed at Rush's detention hearing that he had falsely claimed he was a doctor to some, lied to his neighbors about being a pilot and had been putting funds into commodities that were easily tradable, such as Rolex watches seized from his home. Many of the assets he is believed to have access to still remain unaccounted for, Tisdale added.
Rush also had instances of undisclosed travel that further bolstered the government's argument he could not be trusted to return for further legal proceedings in his case, Tisdale added, but did not provide further details.
"Mr. Rush is in a world of trouble," Tisdale said, adding the government's investigation shows he engaged in a regular "manipulation of classification" and "skirting of the rules" even as he currently faces only a single charge for timecard fraud.
Rush's plea hearing is set to take place in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, on Tuesday at 1:15 p.m. ET, according to court records.