David Rush, a former official of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), pleaded guilty on the 6th in a federal court in Virginia to one count of telecommunications fraud, facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Rush exploited his CIA position to fabricate classified projects for personal gain, and his deceptive actions caused the U.S. federal government to lose approximately $194 million.
According to reports from the Associated Press and CBS News, the $194 million included more than $1.8 million in private charter flight expenses paid by the government for Rush's personal use.
As part of the plea agreement, Rush agreed to the forfeiture of his ill-gotten gains, including 298 gold bars, two BMW vehicles, 35 luxury watches, and four luxury properties in Florida.
He is scheduled to be sentenced by the court on January 28 next year.
Rush held the highest level of security clearance.
Court documents show that Rush fabricated a classified project and used shell companies to divert $145 million in government funds to purchase Florida real estate, planning to sell the properties for profit.
He also concocted a "highly sensitive" government project, falsely claiming that "high-value goods needed to be delivered to unnamed individuals," thereby requiring the purchase of gold bars.
A government contractor involved in the matter transferred $45 million to a company controlled by Rush in January this year, and this transaction became key evidence for the telecommunications fraud charge to which Rush pleaded guilty.
According to reports, Rush joined the CIA based on falsified academic credentials and qualifications.
He claimed to be a former naval pilot with a bachelor's degree from South Carolina and a master's degree from New York, but these experiences were entirely fabricated.
Rush served in the Navy in 1997 and retired from the Naval Reserve in 2015.
After retirement, he also fraudulently claimed tens of thousands of dollars in military unpaid leave benefits.
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