Current:Home > StocksRetired Navy admiral arrested in bribery case linked to government contract -MoneyBase
Retired Navy admiral arrested in bribery case linked to government contract
View
Date:2025-04-17 22:52:15
WASHINGTON (AP) — A retired four-star admiral who was once the Navy’s second highest ranking officer was arrested Friday on charges that he helped a company secure a government contract for a training program in exchange for a lucrative job with the firm.
Robert Burke, who served as vice chief of naval operations, faces federal charges including bribery and conspiracy for what prosecutors allege was a corrupt scheme that led to the company hiring him after his retirement in 2022 with a starting annual salary of $500,000. He oversaw naval operations in Europe, Russia, and most of Africa.
Also charged in the case are Yongchul “Charlie” Kim and Meghan Messenger, who are co-chief executive officers of the company. The company is not named in court papers, but Kim and Messenger are named as the CEOs on the website for a company called NextJump, which provides training programs.
“The law does not make exceptions for admirals or CEOs. Those who pay and receive bribes must be held accountable,” said Matthew Graves, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. “The urgency is at its greatest when, as here, senior government officials and senior executives are allegedly involved in the corruption.”
Burke, 62, of Coconut Creek, Florida, made his initial appearance in Miami on Friday but didn’t enter a plea during the hearing, according to defense attorney Timothy Parlatore. The lawyer said Burke will plead not guilty and intends to clear his name at trial.
“I think a jury will see through this,” Parlatore said.
Burke conditionally retired from the Navy on July 31, 2022. Senior officers will often conditionally retire if there are administrative matters pending.
Rear Adm. Ryan Perry said the Department of the Navy has fully cooperated with the investigation.
“We take this matter very seriously and will continue to cooperate with the Department of Justice,” Perry said in a statement.
Kim and Messenger’s company provided a workforce training pilot program to a component of 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.
But the two company executives arranged to meet with Burke in Washington, D.C., in July 2021. During the meeting, Kim and Messenger proposed that Burke use his Navy position to steer them a contract in exchange for future employment at the company, the indictment alleges.
In December 2021, Burke ordered his staff to award a $355,000 contract to train personnel under Burke’s command in Italy and Spain, according to the indictment. Burke began working at the company in October 2022.
Parlatore noted that the value of that contract was smaller than Burke’s starting salary.
“There was no connection between this contract and his employment.” Parlatore said. “The math just doesn’t make sense that he would give them this relatively small contract for that type of a job offer.”
___
Associated Press writer Lolita C, Baldor in Washington contributed to this report.
veryGood! (36649)
Related
- Paige Bueckers vs. Hannah Hidalgo highlights women's basketball games to watch
- How Shein became a fast-fashion behemoth
- Does Love Is Blind Still Work? Lauren Speed-Hamilton Says...
- New Toolkit of Health Guidance Helps Patients and Care Providers on the Front Lines of Climate Change Prepare for Wildfires
- Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
- Fox's newest star Jesse Watters boasts a wink, a smirk, and a trail of outrage
- Ryan Gosling Proves He's Way More Than Just Ken With Fantastic Musical Performance
- Alix Earle Influenced Me To Add These 20 Products to My Amazon Cart for Prime Day 2023
- Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
- Britney Spears’ Upcoming Memoir Has a Release Date—And Its Sooner Than You Might Think
Ranking
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- Arizona’s New Governor Takes on Water Conservation and Promises to Revise the State’s Groundwater Management Act
- He lost $340,000 to a crypto scam. Such cases are on the rise
- Indigenous Leaders in Texas Target Global Banks to Keep LNG Export Off of Sacred Land at the Port of Brownsville
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- It's back-to-school shopping time, and everyone wants a bargain
- Biden kept Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports. This is who pays the price
- Planet Money Live: Two Truths and a Lie
Recommendation
Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
States Have Proposals, But No Consensus, On Curbing Water Shortages In Colorado River Basin
Vanessa Hudgens' Amazon Prime Day 2023 Picks Will Elevate Your Self-Care Routine
Ohio Senate Contest Features Two Candidates Who Profess Love for Natural Gas
Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
On The Global Stage, Jacinda Ardern Was a Climate Champion, But Victories Were Hard to Come by at Home
Tennis Star Naomi Osaka Gives Birth, Welcomes First Baby With Boyfriend Cordae
The U.S. added 209,000 jobs in June, showing that hiring is slowing but still solid