ASHBURN — David Rush, a former CIA employee and U.S. Navy veteran, was charged with fraudulently obtaining government funds and falsifying military and academic records. Federal agents discovered 303 gold bars valued at over $40 million and $2 million in cash at his Ashburn residence.
Rush was taken into federal custody last month. A judge ordered him to remain detained after determining he presented a flight risk. Investigations are examining how he completed federal background checks and polygraph examinations.
Federal prosecutors accused Rush of falsifying his academic and military records during his application to the spy agency. They stated he claimed to have graduated first in his class at Top Gun and flown F-14 Tomcat fighter jets over Iraq and Afghanistan. Prosecutors noted that Rush does not hold a pilot's license.
Rush served in the U.S. Navy from 1997 to 2015 as an information systems technician. He was employed by the CIA for approximately 17 years. He is accused of establishing a fictitious top-secret intelligence program to divert government funding for personal use and submitting fraudulent time sheets to misappropriate public money.
Additionally, federal prosecutors allege that Rush received $77,000 in military leave compensation by falsely claiming active status in the U.S. Navy Reserve after 2015. Confiscated from his residence were also 35 luxury watches, primarily manufactured by Rolex. Rush's legal counsel declined to comment on the allegations.
Rush joined the Ashburn Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department in 2008 and completed a fire academy training program in 2009. "The David Rush I remember, he was chiseled," said Jeff Bellmer, a retired fire department lieutenant. "Rush told me he had ejected and bailed out of two F-14s, and the third one he landed over there at Andrews with the cockpit on fire," Bellmer said.
Lloyd Harting, a former volunteer firefighter, also recalled statements from Rush. "He told me he was a former fighter pilot, and I had no reason to doubt him," Harting said. "How did he pull this off? I can't believe it," he added. A federal prosecutor stated during court proceedings, "David Rush is a master manipulator and a tremendous fraud."