A former senior CIA official admitted Tuesday that he made up secret government programs to enrich himself.

David Rush, 49, of Ashburn, Va., pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in federal court in Virginia, NPR and CBS News reported. The charge carries up to 20 years in prison. Judge Michael Nachmanoff set sentencing for Jan. 28 in Alexandria.

Prosecutors say Rush invented a fake classified program to move $145 million in government money through a front company. He used it to buy four luxury homes in Palm Beach and Hobe Sound, Fla., that he planned to resell. He made up a second "sensitive government activity" to buy gold bars. He told contractors he had to deliver "high-value commodities" to unnamed people, CBS said.

Under the deal, Rush agreed to forfeit at least $194 million. That includes 298 gold bars, two BMWs, 35 luxury watches and the four Florida homes.

The case first drew notice in May. FBI agents searched his home and found about 300 gold bars, roughly $2 million in cash and the watches. A judge later ordered him held without bail.

The new filing also contains a different kind of admission. Rush admitted that he told a foreign government official the identity of a secret source for the U.S., NPR reported. The filing does not name the country.

Rush also lied about his past, prosecutors say. He claimed to be a former Navy pilot with degrees from Clemson and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Investigators found he never flew for the Navy and never attended either school. He also billed the government more than $1.8 million for private flights.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe said the agency sent the case to the FBI after its own probe. "David Rush abused his position and betrayed the public trust," he said. Attorney General Todd Blanche said federal workers should serve the public, "not themselves."

What we know: Rush pleaded guilty and agreed to give up at least $194 million in assets.
What we don't: What sentence he will get, and which country received the source's name.