A former CIA officer has pleaded guilty to executing a scheme that defrauded the federal government of approximately $194 million through the misuse of his government position, according to a Justice Department announcement. The fraud included the fraudulent acquisition of tens of millions of dollars in gold bars and luxury properties in Florida.

Federal officials confirmed Rush fabricated extensive credentials to reach senior CIA ranks, falsely claiming he was a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School and director of test operations for a joint Army/Navy unit. In reality, Rush held no FAA licenses and served primarily as an information systems technician during his naval service.

Once in position, Rush created fictitious government entities and fake initiatives—including a phony “Special Access Program”—to redirect federal funds into his personal accounts. He funneled $145 million through wire transfers to fund an extravagant lifestyle, purchasing high-end real estate, luxury vehicles, and massive quantities of physical gold.

The scheme also involved knowingly disclosing “certain descriptive information of a U.S. government clandestine human source” to a foreign government official during an April 2025 interview with the CIA. Prosecutors revealed Rush orchestrated additional fraud, including arranging $1.8 million in private charter flights paid for by the government without legitimate purpose.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe stated that Rush “abused his position and betrayed the public trust” and should be held fully accountable. FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized that Rush’s actions “betrayed his oath, his co-workers, and the American people.” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg added that Rush’s conduct threatened to erode public confidence in intelligence services while defrauding the government of $194 million in real estate, jewelry, and other valuable property, including 298 gold bars.

Rush was arrested in May after investigators discovered roughly 300 gold bars stored in his Virginia home. A federal prosecutor described the schemes as totaling more than $193 million in fraud across multiple transactions, including fraudulent luxury real estate purchases in South Florida that were later renovated for resale profit.