A former CIA official stole hundreds of gold bars worth about $40 million from the U.S. government and hid them in his house.
The Associated Press reported that David Rush was arrested at his Virginia home last week and charged with theft of public money. Citing an FBI affidavit, the outlet noted that Rush had asked for and received a "significant quantity of foreign currency and tens of millions of dollars in gold bars for work-related expenses."
Rush's home was raided on May 18 and authorities recovered 300 gold bars. Other items found included $2 million and 35 luxury watches, primarily Rolexes.
"After a CIA internal investigation identified potential violations of the law, CIA Director John Ratcliffe referred the information to the FBI for a law enforcement investigation," CIA and FBI spokespersons said in a statement to ABC News on Wednesday.
"The FBI is working closely with our partners at the CIA and the Department of Justice as we continue to investigate this matter fully. We are committed to following the facts, ensuring accountability, and pursuing justice in accordance with the law," reads a passage of the statement.
Rush was described as a high-level former CIA official with top secret clearance who held a management position.
According to the network, Rush repeatedly lied when applying for government jobs on three occasions. 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. 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."
