VIRGINIA, United States: A David Rush plea deal has been reached in principle after investigators found more than USD 40 million in gold bars at the former CIA official’s home, according to a federal court filing.
Prosecutors and Rush’s lawyer asked a Virginia federal court to extend the indictment deadline to October 8 while they work toward resolving the case before an indictment.
The filing said the parties had made “significant progress” and had a plea agreement in principle. It did not specify what charges Rush could plead to.
A criminal complaint filed in May charged Rush with one count of stealing public money through alleged timesheet fraud.
The FBI said agents recovered 303 gold bars, USD 2 million in cash and 35 luxury watches from Rush’s Virginia home while executing a search warrant in May. According to the complaint, many of the watches were Rolex models.
Investigators also alleged that Rush falsely claimed 744 hours of military leave after his 2015 discharge from the U.S. Navy, resulting in about USD 77,000 in compensation.
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The FBI further alleged that Rush requested large amounts of foreign currency and tens of millions of dollars in gold bars for work expenses. His employer could not identify how he intended to use the funds, the complaint said.
A federal judge ordered Rush held in custody in June after determining that he posed a severe flight risk.
