The CIA should have known something was off the moment ex-officer David Rush demanded 667 pounds of gold bullion.
Instead of requesting diamonds or rare gems — the far lighter, more mobile currency the agency has long favored for clandestine work — Rush asked for heavy gold bars, a choice a former senior CIA official told The Post was an obvious red flag.
Now Rush is incarcerated in an Alexandria, Va., lockup and charged carrying out a massive theft – although it is the spy agency itself facing tough questions from lawmakers about how he was ever allowed to get this far.
The first clue is the gold itself.
“You tend to go in other directions because it’s lighter. Precious jewels are better. Diamonds are better,” former CIA Iran targets officer Reuel Marc Gerecht told The Post.
“People don’t realize how heavy money is. It was regularly a problem for large payments – particularly if you’re trying to do it clandestinely. You could just weigh yourself down with cash. Gold – you’d need mules,” he exclaimed.
The security breakdown allegedly allowed Rush, who had a top secret security clearance, to hoard in stages 303 gold bars valued at $40 million and weighing 667 pounds.
Hellbound and Down 