ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A senior CIA officer with top-secret clearance who served as a liaison to the Pentagon on one of America’s most classified nuclear submarine programs was arrested after authorities discovered approximately $40 million worth of gold bars, $2 million in cash, and dozens of luxury watches at his Virginia home.

David Rush, 49, was taken into custody on May 19 following an FBI raid on his residence in Ashburn. Agents seized roughly 300–303 one-kilogram gold bars along with over 30 high-end watches, many Rolexes, according to court documents.

Rush allegedly convinced the CIA to provide him with tens of millions of dollars in gold and currency under the guise of “work-related expenses” for overseas operations. Investigators found no legitimate records justifying the massive disbursements, leading to charges of theft of public money and making false statements.

Sources confirmed to NBC News that Rush had been assigned as a liaison for sensitive maritime programs at the Pentagon, including work related to the Columbia-class nuclear submarine program. He was reportedly handpicked for the role and had close professional ties to Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg.

The scandal has prompted the CIA to place several senior officials on administrative leave over vetting and oversight failures. Lawmakers are now investigating how Rush advanced within the agency despite allegedly falsifying his educational and military background, including bogus claims of degrees from Clemson University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and service as a Navy pilot.

Rush, a 17-year CIA veteran, is scheduled to appear in federal court in Alexandria for a detention hearing. The case is being handled by the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, and the investigation remains ongoing.

This high-profile arrest has raised serious national security concerns given Rush’s access to classified programs and the potential compromise of sensitive information. Authorities have not publicly detailed any espionage links at this time.