Ex-CIA officer found with over $40M in gold bars pleads guilty to $194M fraud

To reach the upper echelons of the CIA and secure top-secret clearances, Rush fabricated extensive credentials.

On official job applications, he claimed to be a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School and the director of test operations for a joint Army/Navy unit.

In reality, Rush was never a pilot, held no FAA licenses, and served primarily as an information systems technician during his time in the Navy.

Once positioned in senior leadership, Rush executed a massive siphon of taxpayer dollars. He created fictitious government entities and fake initiatives — including a phony “Special Access Program” — to redirect federal funds into his own accounts, ultimately stealing $194 million, according to the Justice Department.