Robert Burke, a retired US Navy admiral, has been arrested and accused of awarding a government contract to a company in exchange for a lucrative job later, according to reports. BBC.
The 62-year-old did not enter a formal plea during his first court appearance in Miami, Florida, on Friday.
According to the indictment, Admiral Burke used his public position and four-star status for personal gain
U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves wrote in a statement Friday.
According to the Public Prosecutor, the law does not exclude admirals or executives, and therefore both those who offer bribes and those who accept them must be held accountable. He added, “The pressures are greater when there are allegations that high-ranking and senior government officials, as in this case, are involved in corruption.”
Burke, who oversaw naval operations in Europe, Russia and Africa from 2020 to 2022, is charged with bribery, conspiracy to commit bribery, acts of personal financial gain, and withholding important information.
At the time of his retirement, Director Burke was the second highest-ranking officer in the United States Navy.
According to his lawyer, his client will plead not guilty during the trial.
The company's two executives – Yong-Chol “Charlie” Kim, 50, and Megan Messenger, 47 – face charges of bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery. According to prosecutors, the company agreed to hire Adam Burke after his retirement in 2022 with an annual salary of $500,000 and 100,000 stock options. In return, in 2021, Director Burke awarded the company a $355,000 contract to train Navy personnel. This comes just two years after the company lost its previous offshore training contract.
Prosecutors say Director Burke awarded the contract after Kim and Messenger met with the admiral in Washington even though Navy officials asked him not to contact him.
The case is being investigated by officers from the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the Naval Criminal Investigation Office (NCIS) and the FBI in Washington. If convicted, Admiral Robert Burke could face up to 30 years in prison. Two of the company's business managers were also arrested and face 20 years in prison.
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