ALEXANDRIA, VA — A Fairfax County man was arrested Wednesday on a federal theft charge after investigators alleged he used false educational and military credentials to obtain government employment and improperly received military leave pay, according to court records filed in U.S. District Court in Alexandria.
David J. Rush is charged with theft of public money under federal law, according to an affidavit filed by an FBI special agent in support of a criminal complaint and arrest warrant.
Court records show Rush made an initial appearance Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge William E. Fitzpatrick in Alexandria. Prosecutors sought detention, while Rush argued he was not a flight risk, according to the docket. A preliminary and detention hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday in Alexandria federal court. Rush remains in U.S. Marshals Service custody, according to court records.
According to the affidavit, Rush was a former senior executive service-level employee at a U.S. government agency in the Eastern District of Virginia and held a top secret/sensitive compartmented information clearance.
Investigators alleged Rush falsely claimed to hold degrees from Clemson University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and misrepresented aspects of his military service and aviation background on multiple government applications and security clearance paperwork.
The affidavit states Clemson University officials told investigators they could not verify that Rush attended the school. An associate registrar at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute similarly stated that records did not show Rush attended the institution, according to the filing.
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The FBI also alleged Rush falsely represented that he remained in the Navy Reserve after his discharge in 2015. According to the affidavit, government records showed Rush claimed 744 hours of military leave after his discharge, totaling about $77,000 in compensation.
Investigators further alleged Rush requested large quantities of foreign currency and tens of millions of dollars in gold bars from his employer between November 2025 and March 2026 for purported work-related expenses. According to the affidavit, investigators later determined that some of the currency and gold could not be accounted for.
The FBI executed a search warrant at Rush’s home on Monday according to the affidavit. Agents seized about 303 gold bars weighing approximately 1 kilogram each, with an estimated value exceeding $40 million based on current gold prices, the filing states. Agents also seized about $2 million in cash and about 35 luxury watches, many of them Rolex watches, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit said that there was probable cause to believe Rush fraudulently obtained an inflated salary and military leave benefits from about 2009 through May 2026.
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