A statement from the Justice Department revealed that on Friday, a former U.S. Navy vice chief of naval operations was apprehended for allegedly accepting bribes in order to influence government contracts in favor of a company. The charges also stated that he did so in exchange for a future job while still serving in the Navy.
Retired Navy Adm. Robert Burke, 62, from Coconut Creek, Florida, along with two business executives, Yongchul “Charlie” Kim and Meghan Messenger, both from New York, face charges of bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery, as stated in the recently unsealed indictment.
Burke faces charges of “engaging in actions that influence personal financial interests and withholding important information from the United States,” according to the statement issued by the DOJ.
If Burke is found guilty, he could potentially be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison. Likewise, both Kim and Messenger could face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted.
After serving on attack and ballistic missile submarines, Burke climbed the ranks to become the 40th vice chief of naval operations in June 2019. Later, in June 2020, he assumed command of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa and Allied Joint Forces Command.
Kim and Messenger were both co-CEOs of a company known as “Company A.” This company offered a workforce training pilot program to a specific segment of the Navy from August 2018 to July 2019. It is worth mentioning that NextJump, a services firm, has listed Charlie Kim and Meghan Messenger as co-CEOs on their website.
In late 2019, the Navy terminated its contract with Company A and explicitly instructed them to refrain from contacting Burke.
According to the statement, in July 2021, while Burke was in charge of a large number of Navy civilians and military personnel in Europe and Africa, Kim and Messenger reportedly held a meeting with him in Washington, D.C. Their objective was to revive Company A’s business connection with the Navy.
During the meeting, the defendants who have been charged reportedly reached an agreement. According to the Justice Department, it is alleged that Burke, a Navy Admiral, would leverage his position to secure a sole-source contract for Company A. In return, he would receive future employment at the company. Additionally, they allegedly agreed that Burke would use his official position to influence other Navy officers to award another contract to Company A. This contract would involve training a significant portion of the Navy, with an estimated value in the triple-digit millions, as estimated by Kim.
In December 2021, it is alleged that Burke instructed his Navy staff to grant a contract worth $355,000 to the company for the purpose of training personnel under his command in Italy and Spain, as stated.
In January 2022, Company A conducted the training. Shortly after, Burke reportedly attempted to promote the firm to a senior Navy Admiral in an unsuccessful bid to secure another contract for the business.
According to the statement, Burke allegedly made multiple false and misleading statements to the Navy in order to hide the scheme. These statements included creating the illusion that he had no involvement in issuing the contract and falsely suggesting that his discussions with Company A regarding employment only started after the contract was awarded.
In October of the same year, after retiring in the summer of 2022, Burke joined Company A. He started with an impressive salary of $500,000 and was also granted 100,000 stock options.
The Navy spokesperson, Rear Adm. Ryan Perry, emphasized that the service has been fully cooperative with the investigation from the very beginning.
In a statement provided to The Hill, Perry emphasized the seriousness of the matter and expressed the company’s commitment to cooperate with the Department of Justice. As an ongoing legal case, Perry directed any additional inquiries to the DOJ for further information.
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