WASHINGTON, United States — David Rush, a former Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, officer accused of stealing public money, has reached a plea agreement in principle with federal prosecutors.
The development was disclosed on Friday, September 11, 2026, in a federal court filing in Alexandria, Virginia. The proposed agreement’s terms have not been made public.
Rush was arrested in May after Federal Bureau of Investigation agents found 303 gold bars valued at more than $40 million at his home, according to court records.
The United States Department of Justice and Rush’s defence team asked the court to extend the deadline for obtaining an indictment by 21 days, from September 17 to October 8.
Assistant US Attorney Raizza Ty and Jessica Carmichael, Rush’s lawyer, said the additional time would allow them to complete the proposed agreement and prepare a joint account of the case.
“The parties need additional time to prepare the paperwork, including an agreed upon statement of facts,” the lawyers wrote in the joint motion.
They said resolving the case before an indictment would conserve judicial and government resources.
The filing also said the matter involved classified information and required approval from other government agencies.
US District Judge Leonie Brinkema had previously indicated that the September 17 deadline would not be extended again.
The latest motion asks her to permit what the parties described as a third and final extension.
Rush has not been indicted by a federal grand jury.
He was charged by criminal complaint with one count of theft of public money, based partly on allegations that he improperly received government pay through false employment and military-leave records.
Gold, Cash and Watches Seized
In an affidavit supporting Rush’s arrest, investigators said agents searching his Virginia home seized about 303 gold bars, each weighing approximately one kilogram.
The FBI also reported finding about $2 million in US currency and 35 luxury watches, many of them Rolex models.
Federal investigators accused Rush of providing false information about his education and military history during his government employment.
They also alleged that he continued claiming military leave after leaving the Navy Reserve.
The complaint identifies Rush only as a former senior employee of a government agency who held a top-secret security clearance.
NBC News has reported that the agency was the CIA and that Rush held a high-ranking position involving some of the government’s most closely guarded programmes.
The CIA placed several senior officials on leave after his arrest, according to NBC News.
Pentagon Official Interviewed by FBI
The investigation has also drawn attention to Rush’s relationship with Steve Feinberg, the deputy defence secretary.
Four people familiar with the matter told NBC News that the FBI reviewed video showing Rush and Feinberg at a Washington-area residence connected to the federal government.
Feinberg was interviewed by the FBI, according to two people familiar with the investigation. He has not been accused of wrongdoing, and the bureau has said that he is not under investigation.
The lawyers involved in Rush’s case are subject to protective orders restricting the disclosure of classified and other sensitive information.
NBC News said Carmichael did not respond to a request for comment on the proposed plea agreement.
