A former CIA official accused of stealing 303 gold bars from the government and hiding them in his house, was described as a highly intelligent, chiseled individual who could convincingly spin tall tales.
The recollections of David Rush, who now faces federal charges after a raid last month of his Virginia home, came from members of the Ashburn Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department in Northern Virginia where he served 15 years ago, NBC News reported.
"The David Rush I remember, he was chiseled," Jeff Bellmer, a retired lieutenant at the department, told NBC News. "Big back, skinny waist, fit."
According to the report, Rush was both reserved and humble but also able to tell engaging stories of his supposed past. For example, NBC reported that Rush regaled his fellow firefighters with stories of being a Top Gun fighter pilot who graduated first in his class.
"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 told NBC News. "He was just such a neat guy for me at the time. The first real naval aviator that I had come across."
In reality, according to federal prosecutors, Rush was a liar.
NBC News reported that Rush did serve in the Navy and was honorably discharged in 2015, but he served as a information systems technician and did not have a pilot's license.
According to the ABC News, Rush repeatedly lied when applying for government jobs. In a 2000 application, he claimed to have a bachelor's degree from Clemson. A second application added a master's degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Then in, 2009, Rush applied again and added an aircraft test from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School.
The network reported that despite none of the credentials being real, the 2009 application was successful.
ABC News reported that the FBI affidavit notes that higher levels of education can result in higher pay scale for government employees: "An employee with higher education levels, such as [a] Master's degree, would generally be expected to receive a higher pay scale than a similar employee doing similar work without an undergraduate or Master's degree."
Other allegations against Rush include that he lied about his military credentials and committed fraud by claiming that he had 744 hours of military leave. ABC news reported this resulted in $77,000 in compensation.
In May, authorities raided Rush's home and recovered 303 gold bars, $2 million in cash, and 35 luxury watches, primarily Rolexes. The Associated Press reported that Rush was charged with criminal theft of public money.
