Former CIA official David J. Rush has reached a tentative plea agreement with federal prosecutors over allegations that he stole public money by fraudulently inflating his salary, court records show.
A federal judge has extended the deadline for prosecutors to formally indict Rush until 8 October, allowing time for his lawyer and the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia to finalise the agreement.
The parties said a trial could involve substantial litigation over classified material. The proposed deal has not been detailed in court filings.
Rush was charged in May with theft of public money. An FBI affidavit alleges that he claimed 744 hours of military leave on his timecards after being honourably discharged from the Navy in 2015.
He is also accused of falsely claiming degrees from Clemson University in South Carolina and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, thereby inflating his salary.
The investigation also led to the seizure of about 300 gold bars, valued at more than $40 million, from Rush’s home. Investigators additionally found around $2 million in US currency and about 35 luxury watches.
The FBI affidavit said Rush had obtained the gold from the US government for “work-related expenses”. His lawyer has said the charge against him is unrelated to the gold bars, describing them as “a sensational tidbit”.
During a court hearing in June, a Justice Department attorney said Rush was not supposed to have the gold bars at his home.
The US Attorney’s Office declined to comment, while Rush’s lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
