In brief
David Rush, a former CIA senior executive, has pleaded guilty to a $200 million fraud that involved 298 gold bars, a $45 million wire transfer, and the acquisition of luxury real estate. He will be required to pay restitution, surrender his luxury cars, watches, and real estate, and his assets will be forfeited. Prosecutors also say Rush supplied confidential information to a foreign official, risking national security. A federal judge will set his sentence later; the maximum penalty is 20 years in prison.
In the plea agreement Rush will pay restitution, surrender all confiscated assets, and will be charged with wire fraud. Prosecutors say he fabricated a classified program to justify the acquisition of high‑value properties in South Florida, then intended to resell them for personal profit. The indictment also alleges that Rush supplied classified information to an unauthorized foreign official, putting the safety of a human source and U.S. operations at risk.
A federal judge will set his sentence later (maximum 20 years). Rush was held in jail pending trial, with a hearing scheduled for January 28. The government claims substantial sums remain unaccounted for; Rush's lawyer disputes the extent of the alleged losses.
For more details, read the source at The Washington Post.
