Retired Admiral Arrested on Bribery Charges for Allegedly Helping Secure Navy Contract in Exchange for Lucrative Job
A retired four-star admiral, Robert Burke, who once served as the US Navy’s second-highest-ranking officer, was arrested on Friday on charges of bribery and conspiracy. Burke, who oversaw naval operations in Europe, Russia, and most of Africa, is accused of helping a company secure a government contract for a training program in exchange for a high-paying job after his retirement in 2022.
Burke, 62, of Coconut Creek, Florida, allegedly engaged in a corrupt scheme with Yongchul “Charlie” Kim and Meghan Messenger, co-CEOs of a company believed to be Next Jump, which provides training programs. Court documents do not name the company, but Kim and Messenger are listed as its CEOs on the company's website.
Prosecutors claim Burke used his influence to award a $355,000 contract to the company for training naval personnel in Italy and Spain, shortly before starting a job with the firm that paid him an annual salary of $500,000. The charges against Burke include bribery and conspiracy.
“The law does not make exceptions for admirals or CEOs. Those who pay and receive bribes must be held accountable,” said Matthew Graves, the US Attorney for Washington DC. “The urgency is at its greatest when, as here, senior government officials and senior executives are allegedly involved in the corruption.”
Burke made his initial court appearance on Friday in Miami but did not enter a plea. His defense attorney, Timothy Parlatore, stated that Burke would plead not guilty and intends to clear his name at trial. “I think a jury will see through this,” Parlatore said.
Rear Admiral Ryan Perry confirmed that the Navy has fully cooperated with the investigation, stating, “We take this matter very seriously and will continue to cooperate with the Department of Justice.”
According to the indictment, Kim and Messenger's company provided a workforce-training pilot program to the Navy from August 2018 through July 2019. The Navy terminated the pilot program in late 2019 and directed the company not to contact Burke. However, in July 2021, Kim and Messenger allegedly met with Burke in Washington DC and proposed that he use his position to secure them a contract in exchange for future employment.
Burke retired from the Navy on July 31, 2022, under conditional status due to pending administrative matters. He began working at the company in October 2022.
Parlatore argued that the contract awarded by Burke was smaller than his starting salary at the company, stating, “There was no connection between this contract and his employment. The math just doesn’t make sense that he would give them this relatively small contract for that type of a job offer.”
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