FBI arrests former CIA official over $40 million worth of gold bars stashed at Virginia home

The FBI arrested a former CIA official last week after investigators discovered hundreds of gold bars hidden at his home in Virginia, according to court documents reported by NBC News on Wednesday.

The official, identified as David Rush, was charged with criminal theft of public money in a complaint filed last week in the Eastern District of Virginia. He has also been accused of lying to employers about his background for nearly two decades.

The CIA and FBI confirmed Rush's arrest to the outlet in a joint statement and said CIA Director John Ratcliffe referred Rush for a criminal investigation.

“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,” the statement said. “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.”

The arrest comes after the FBI raided Rush's home in Virginia on May 18, where law enforcement officers found more than 300 gold bars, which are estimated to be worth more than $40 million combined, according to the New York Times.

The court papers do not indicate why Rush kept so much gold, but it comes after he requested and received “a significant quantity of foreign currency and tens of millions of dollars in gold bars for work-related expenses," which the CIA was later unable to locate.

One source told NBC News that most, if not all, of the funds, including foreign currency and the gold, were recovered.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.