Former CIA Officer Charged With Embezzling Millions via Fake Program

A former CIA officer has been charged with using a fraudulent covert program to embezzle tens of millions of dollars in public funds, according to court documents and reporting by the New York Times. David Rash, who spent 17 years at the agency, allegedly exploited a "special access program" typically reserved for highly sensitive intelligence operations to divert millions in government money into personal accounts. Prosecutors say Rash withdrew millions in gold bars between last November and March, describing the withdrawals as operational expenses. He recruited two colleagues separately to prevent them from communicating, using one to funnel large quantities of gold into the scheme through a fake government contract. The program's stated purpose was listed as "continuity of government operations," language typically used for scenarios involving attacks or natural disasters. The FBI raided Rash's home in Auburn, Virginia, on May 18. Agents seized 303 one-kilogram gold bars, $2 million in cash, and roughly 35 luxury watches including multiple Rolexes. The investigation also uncovered an alleged decades-long deception involving fabricated military service records and education credentials from Clemson University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School, which prosecutors say Rash used to progressively advance his career.