A federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, has scheduled a plea agreement hearing for Tuesday in the case of David Rush, a former CIA officer accused of theft of public funds and falsifying pay records.
Investigators allege Rush fabricated his extensive professional background and created a fictitious CIA program. Federal officials seized 303 gold bars valued at $40 million from his home during the investigation.
Four individuals familiar with the investigation told NBC News that authorities believe additional money or other assets remain missing beyond what was recovered at Rush's residence.
U.S. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff will oversee the hearing. Rush has not entered a plea and has remained in custody since his arrest. Both the prosecution and defense previously requested additional time to finalize a plea deal.
A plea agreement would allow the government to avoid a lengthy trial and prevent public disclosure of sensitive information regarding CIA operations.
Rush was placed on leave before his arrest and later fired from the CIA. The intelligence community's inspector general is investigating how Rush's application passed basic vetting, particularly regarding fabricated academic and military credentials.
Intelligence officials and U.S. lawmakers have raised questions about how the CIA failed to catch the falsehoods.
The case has drawn scrutiny to Steve Feinberg, the Pentagon's deputy secretary. Sources familiar with the investigation told NBC News that Feinberg had a close professional relationship with Rush, though Feinberg denied this through a Pentagon spokesperson.
Rush worked on secret maritime programs at the Pentagon. The FBI interviewed Feinberg as part of the investigation, but the bureau stated he is not accused of wrongdoing and is not under investigation. There is no indication Feinberg knew of Rush's alleged fabrications.
Several senior CIA officials were placed on leave in June over their handling of Rush's requests for money.
