All four pieces of South Florida luxury real estate that David J. Rush used to defraud the federal government are now for sale.
The former CIA officer pleaded guilty this month to defrauding the federal government of $193 million — a scheme that included buying properties in the Palm Beach area worth a combined $102.6, according to court records. That included three Palm Beach island properties, plus land in Jupiter Island.
As part of the scam, Rush created a fake government operation that required special security clearance to enter. He then directed individuals, who were under the impression they were part of an official government operation, to wire money into buying the properties, according to court records.
Here are the South Florida properties he bought, according to court records:
- 236 Via Las Brisas, Palm Beach
- 243 Seaspray Avenue, Palm Beach
- 311 Polmer Park, Palm Beach
- 511 South Beach Road, Jupiter Island
All the properties are owned by entities registered to West Palm Beach real estate attorney Maura Ziska of Kochman and Ziska. She declined to comment.
Entities tied to Ziska were the buyer on all the properties except the Via Las Brisas home. Another entity, 0701 Holdings LLC, bought the 7,260-square-foot home in December 2025.
That entity transferred ownership to Ziska for $10 in February, property records show. Jon D. Cannizzo of Virginia signed as manager of 0701 Holdings LLC in that document.
The LLC was named in court records as the owner of a bank account that accumulated $145 million from fraudulent deals, court records say. That bank account wired money into the properties and other luxury items, including cars and watches, and contained only $38.7 million when the scam was uncovered.
Cannizzo did not respond to email and phone requests for comment. Court documents detail that people working on Rush’s behalf believed they were doing so as part of a legitimate government program.
All the properties are now for sale, with the Via Las Brisas and Seaspray Avenue properties pending contract, according to listings.
Rush’s entity bought the Via Las Brisas home for $21.9 million, and it’s asking for $22.9 million.
The entity paid $13.7 million for the Seaspray Avenue property, a 0.32-acre empty lot, in December 2025. It’s listed for $13.9 million.
He spent $40 million on the Jupiter Island property, a 4.1-acre waterfront lot, in February. It’s asking for $43.5 million.
As for the Polmer Park home, court records say Rush wired $27 million into buying it in January. But the property sold for $24.2 million that month, Palm Beach County property records and a deed show. The 7,980-square-foot home built in 2025 is listed for nearly $33 million.
Christian Angle of Christian Angle Real Estate has the listings. He was ranked last year as the top broker in Palm Beach County by transaction volume, at $673.4 million. He said he was not involved in purchasing the properties and otherwise declined to comment.
The federal government found nearly 300 bars of gold, $2.1 million in cash, about $104,800 Euros and 30 watches in Rush’s home in May. He had also purchased two BMW Alpina XB7 cars and five other watches, including a Rolex, using money from the scheme, according to court records.
His sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 28. He is facing up to 20 years in prison.
Read more
Ex-CIA officer who stashed gold used Palm Beach luxury homes in $193M scam
Pair of Frisco entrepreneurs ordered to pay $400M in damages to Georgetown business over alleged fraud scheme
Ex-Houston housing official sentenced to 10 years for Third Ward embezzlement
