A plea deal, quietly

David J. Rush, the former CIA official found with $40 million in gold bars at home, has reached a tentative plea agreement on a theft charge, court records show.

The clock runs to October

A federal judge on Friday pushed the deadline to formally indict Rush to Oct. 8, giving both sides time to finish the deal.

Why nobody wants a trial

Prosecutors and Rush's attorney told the court a public trial could mean heavy litigation over classified material. The joint filing gave no details of the deal.

The actual charge is paperwork

Rush was charged in May with theft of public money: claiming 744 hours of military leave after his 2015 Navy discharge, and inflating his salary with degrees he did not have.

What the FBI found at home

Agents searched his house and seized about 300 gold bars worth more than $40 million, roughly $2 million in cash, and about 35 luxury watches.

'A sensational tidbit'

The affidavit says Rush got the bars from the government for work-related expenses. His lawyer says they have nothing to do with the charge. A DOJ attorney said he was not supposed to have them at home.

“a sensational tidbit”