WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a shocking turn of events, retired four-star Navy Adm. Robert Burke was arrested Friday, accused of accepting bribes to influence government contracts for personal gain, the Justice Department announced.
Burke, who held the position of vice chief of naval operations during part of the Trump administration, was one of the Navy’s top officers. Prosecutors assert that he used his high-ranking status to benefit himself financially.
“Admiral Burke is charged with abusing his public office for personal enrichment,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves. “The law does not discriminate; those who engage in bribery must face justice.”
Burke, 62, could be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison if found guilty. The indictment claims he received a $500,000 yearly salary and 100,000 stock options from Yongchul “Charlie” Kim and Meghan Messenger, co-CEOs of a company known as “Company A,” in return for securing a government contract for them.
Kim and Messenger allegedly reached out to Burke multiple times between 2019 and 2022 about a government contract, despite warnings from the Navy. Company A had provided workforce training to a small Navy unit from August 2018 to July 2019, but their contract was terminated later that year.
In a July 2021 meeting in Washington, D.C., Kim and Messenger reportedly discussed reestablishing their business relationship with the Navy with Burke. They allegedly agreed on a plan where Burke would use his influence to secure a more lucrative contract for Company A before retiring and joining the company.
Burke is accused of directing his staff to award a $355,000 contract to Company A for training personnel in Italy and Spain and promoting the company to a senior Navy admiral before his retirement. However, Company A did not secure another Navy contract.
To hide the scheme, Burke allegedly made false statements to the Navy, suggesting he had no role in awarding the contract and that his employment talks with Company A began only after the contract was awarded. Burke, Kim, and Messenger are charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and bribery.
Burke also faces charges of performing acts affecting a personal financial interest and concealing material facts from the United States. His lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, said Burke plans to plead not guilty and believes a jury will see through the charges.