Court filings show that a former CIA officer admitted running a $200 million fraud scheme in which a bogus classified program was used as cover for South Florida real-estate purchases.
The plea agreement also said he shared secrets with a foreign government, including information about a clandestine human source, according to the BBC.
Here's what to know
Court records show that David Rush, 49, pleaded guilty to wire fraud. Authorities said he used his top-secret access and weak oversight to channel government money into luxury homes, gold bars, and other assets, and filings tie the case to a $45 million wire transfer he initiated in January 2026.
Between November 2025 and March 2026, FBI investigators said, Rush repeatedly sought large amounts of foreign currency and gold bars worth tens of millions of dollars for supposed work expenses, the BBC reported.
To justify those purchases, court filings said, he made up a highly classified program and "effectively acted as his own approving official, enabling him to expend substantial amounts of United States government money without meaningful scrutiny".
Rush also admitted in the plea deal that he gave top-secret information to "a foreign government official who was not authorised to receive it and had no need to know it". The BBC reported that he also revealed and described a clandestine human source.
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Under the agreement, Rush must give up a lengthy list of assets tied to the fraud. In the plea filing, prosecutors said: "The defendant will plead guilty because the defendant is in fact guilty of the charged offense."
More background
Agents searched Rush's home and found 298 gold bars, $2 million in cash, and 35 luxury watches, according to the BBC. The filing said there is "strong evidence" that he converted money into easily tradable commodities, which prosecutors said suggested an effort to conceal the funds.
Court records say some of the fraudulently obtained money was funneled into luxury properties in southern Florida. According to the BBC's account of the court filing, Rush hired an interior designer for one of those properties and spent $40,000 on kitchen appliances, and prosecutors said public money was diverted into private purchases instead of legitimate government operations.
The plea deal filing said exposing a clandestine source "could endanger the safety and life of the human source and the U.S. government officers working with the source and jeopardize the U.S. government's ability to recruit human sources, who rely on the U.S. government's assurances of absolute secrecy."
As the BBC reported, court records say Rush had been accused of improperly taking paid military leave after being honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy. They also say he misrepresented his education and military service when applying for the job in 2009.
What's being done?
Under the agreement, Rush must forfeit nearly $39 million taken from his bank account, along with luxury real estate, two BMWs, the watches, and the seized cash.
He must also pay restitution to the U.S. government. A federal judge will decide his sentence, and, according to the BBC, a hearing has been set for Jan. 28. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, though the filing says federal law could increase that.
Authorities have treated Rush as a serious flight risk. U.S. Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick ordered that he remain jailed pending trial.
He said, "He's in a different position than most people to flee and avoid detection by law enforcement."
The BBC, citing The Washington Post, said some CIA officials were put on leave while the agency investigates how Rush cleared a background check despite the alleged falsehoods in his application.
In a news release, CIA Director John Ratcliffe said Rush "abused his position and betrayed the public trust and should be held fully accountable for his actions".
Where can I learn more?
Other stories covering hidden assets, luxury property, and public corruption include:
• In South Florida, an HOA president stole $11 million while residents say critics were silenced.
• Authorities seized a luxury yacht tied to an alleged global scam kingpin.
• A former town official was sentenced to prison after an illegal dumping scheme.
• In Indonesia, an official accepted a million-dollar bribe from the palm oil industry.
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