CIA agent caught hoarding $40M in gold bars for ‘work-related expenses’ could land plea deal

An ex-CIA agent who stashed $40 million in gold bars at his Virginia home for “work-related expenses” could land a plea deal with federal prosecutors, according to court documents.

David Rush, 49, and the Justice Department have made significant progress toward a “plea agreement in principle,” the feds and Rush’s lawyers wrote in a joint motion Friday in the case — one of the most significant financial crimes in the history of the CIA.

Rush was arrested in late May after the feds removed a staggering 303 gold bars that were US government property and worth $40 million in a raid at his Ashburn residence. Authorities also recovered 35 luxury wristwatches and $2 million in cash at the home.

The ex-agent — who allegedly bluffed his way into the CIA by faking his resume and posing as a doctor and pilot at one point — has been held behind bars after being deemed a flight risk.

Both sides are now asking a judge for a 21-day extension in the case to give them time to reach a “pre-indictment resolution.”

Rush has been formally charged with only one count of theft of public funds for fraudulently claiming tens of thousands of dollars in compensation for military leave after he had been discharged from the US Navy in 2015. 

The case has only resulted in a criminal complaint and has not yet been presented to a federal grand jury, NBC News reported.

Court documents did not reveal details of Rush’s possible plea agreement.

Rush was in the CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology unit, but the agency has been tight-lipped about what his exact role entailed.

The serial fraudster requested the stockpile of gold bars and currency for “work-related expenses” between November 2025 and March 2026, according to an FBI affidavit.

The officer’s extensive falsehoods about his credentials included claiming to be a doctor — after falsely stating he had earned multiple degrees and a pilot’s license — as well as improperly taking military leave despite being discharged from the Navy a decade ago, according to the feds.

Rush’s lawyer, Jessica Carmichael, did not respond to The Post’s request for comment. Lawyers involved in the case are barred from sharing sensitive information.