Former CIA officer pleads guilty to fraud totaling about $194 million

Former senior CIA officer David Rush has pleaded guilty to abuse of his official position and the use of government funds for personal enrichment through the purchase of gold bars worth more than $40 million and luxury real estate in Florida, American media report.

According to court documents, Rush fabricated a "top secret" government program to justify the acquisition of luxury real estate in South Florida, which he intended to resell for personal gain. In addition, he invented a fictitious "sensitive government operation" in order to obtain gold bars.

According to the Department of Justice, Rush's fraudulent actions caused the federal government damage of about $194 million.

At a hearing on Tuesday, prosecutors said that the former CIA officer passed top secret defense information to a representative of a foreign government.

Rush also admitted that he disclosed "certain information about a covert informant of the U.S. government."

"The disclosure of such information could endanger the safety and lives of the source of the information, as well as U.S. government employees working with that source, and deprive the U.S. government of the ability to recruit informants who rely on the guarantees of absolute secrecy provided by the U.S. government," says a document attached to Rush's guilty plea.

Information about which foreign government is involved has not been specified.

Prosecutors also accuse Rush of lying to colleagues and government contractors about his military and academic background.

Rush faces up to 20 years in prison; the sentence will be handed down on January 28 in Alexandria, Virginia.

Source: Interfax