Retired US Navy 4-star admiral arrested in connection with alleged bribery scheme

If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, the Justice Department said.

Burke denies the allegations, reported the news of the US Naval Institute.

Yongchul “Charlie” Kim and Meghan Messenger, the co-CEOs of the company, which was not named in the Justice Department’s press release but which USNI News reported was called Next Jump, were also arrested. on charges related to her role in the alleged bribery scheme.

The two are charged with bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery and face up to 20 years in prison each, according to the Justice Department press release.

The alleged plot involved Burke accepting future employment with the executives’ companies in exchange for awarding them a government contract, according to the U.S. Department of Justice press release.

According to the indictment, Kim and Messenger of New York initially secured a government contract to train U.S. Navy pilots from 2018 to 2019, which Burke had championed. The Navy terminated the contract and ordered that the two CEOs no longer have any contact with Burke.

However, the indictment states that Kim and Messenger contacted Burke several times and eventually had a phone conversation in which Burke stated that he wanted to work with the company, but that, according to the indictment, Kim said this would have to be tied to a contract.

The Justice Department’s indictment states that Burke met with Kim and Messenger in Washington, DC, in July 2021 and agreed to persuade other officials to award another contract to Kim and Messenger’s company, valued at “hundreds of millions” to Kim.

It is alleged that Burke later ordered his staff to award Messenger and Kim’s company a contract to train naval personnel in Italy and Spain. According to the press release, the contract was worth $355,000.

Burke began working at the company in October 2022 with a starting salary of $500,000 and a grant of 100,000 stock options, the Justice Department’s press release said.

“Admiral Burke used his public office and four-star status for his personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves in the Justice Department press release.

“The law does not provide any exceptions for admirals or CEOs. Those who pay and accept bribes must be held accountable. The urgency is greatest when, as in this case, senior government officials and senior executives are suspected of being involved in corruption,” he said.

According to Burke’s attorney, Timothy Parlatore, Burke made his first court appearance in Florida late Friday afternoon and is now scheduled to stand trial in Washington, DC.

“We intend to bring him to justice and expect he will be found not guilty,” Paralotre told USNI News.

“The biggest problem with this indictment is the time frame. The Justice Department falsely believes there was a job offer and an employment contract much earlier than was the case. There is no quid pro quo, no job for contract,” he said.

“It seems strange that he actually worked for them later, but only started serious contract negotiations at the appropriate time and with the appropriate approvals.”

In a statement to USNI News, the US Navy said the service “has cooperated with this investigation from the beginning. We take this matter very seriously and will continue to work with the Department of Justice.”