ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A former CIA officer who allegedly stole $40 million in gold bars from the government and stashed it at his home in Virginia was ordered detained at a court hearing Friday after a federal judge sided with prosecutors who argued the “master manipulator” posed a severe risk of flight.
David Rush, who worked for 17 years at the agency, has already been held since May 19 in an Alexandria jail following an FBI raid on his Ashburn residence the day before that uncovered the more than 300 one-kilogram gold bars, as well as $2 million in cash and 35 high-end Rolexes and other watches.
The gold bars and currency had been requested for “work-related expenses” between November 2025 and March 2026, according to an FBI affidavit, which also noted that the 49-year-old had fibbed for years about his educational and military background.
“Mr. Rush’s history and characteristics show that he’s a master manipulator,” argued Assistant US Attorney Gavin Tisdale in Friday’s hearing, describing how the ex-spook had been “diversifying funds” to make them more easily tradable.
The federal prosecutor noted that, in addition to the fabrications about his credentials, Rush had “lied about being a doctor” and posed a serious risk of fleeing justice if he were to be released.
Jessica Carmichael, Rush’s defense attorney, rejected prosecutors’ allegations against her client, suggesting the description of the gold bars had been highly sensationalized and “a non-issue.”
She also said that he had been aware he was under investigation before the raid on his home.
“They were in his basement locked in a secure way the entire time he was being investigated,” Carmichael said, adding that Rush had directed FBI agents to their location when they executed their search warrant.
“He was not supposed to have that source of funds in his home,” countered Tisdale at another point.
A criminal complaint accompanying the affidavit, however, only listed a charge related to false statements on time sheets to obtain $77,000 in military leave as a Naval Reserve officer — despite being discharged more than 11 years ago.
Carmichael, in her remarks before US District Court Judge William Fitzpatrick, drew attention to that fact, and described the charge as merely tens of thousands of dollars in “time card fraud.”
The defense lawyer also noted that prosecutors have yet to hand over information about what foreign currency Rush had obtained as part of his work.
Wearing a green 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 due to his being at risk of flight.
Fitzpatrick told Carmichael that the detention would remain pending any further motions by the defense seeking release.
When being vetted for the CIA, Rush claimed he had a bachelor’s degree from Clemson University, a master’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Upstate New York and US Naval Test Pilot certifications.
None of those claims were true, an FBI special agent noted in the affidavit, yet he was hired by the agency — after having previously failed to obtain employment twice before.
Former CIA staff operations officer Tracy Walder previously told The Post that Rush’s ability to dupe agency vetting, which is known to be one of the most rigorous background checks in the US government, implies that he may have had co-conspirators.
Lawmakers on the House and Senate Intelligence Committees were rattled by the ease with which he had penetrated the highest levels of the CIA — and then made off with the loot.
“The Senate Intelligence Committee exists to conduct rigorous oversight of the Intelligence Community, including ensuring accountability when serious allegations of misconduct arise,” said Rachel Cohen, a spokeswoman for Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
The House panel has also demanded answers from the CIA about Rush, who served most recently in the agency’s Directorate of Science and Technology, according to an intel committee aide.
