In a significant development, the United States federal prosecutors have confirmed the arrest of Robert P.
Burke, a former Naval Officer, on grave bribery charges.
Burke, a 62-year-old retired four-star Navy Admiral, was taken into custody on Friday. The Justice Department has accused him of accepting bribes in return for directing government contracts towards a company that offered him a high-paying job post his retirement from the Navy.
The indictment details that between 2020 and 2022, Burke, who was responsible for Naval operations across Europe, Russia, and most of Africa, and commanded thousands of civilian and military personnel, allegedly conspired with Yongchul Charlie Kim and Meghan Messenger, CEOs of Company A. This company had provided a workforce training pilot program to a small segment of the Navy from August 2018 through July 2019.
In late 2019, the Navy terminated its contract with Company A and instructed the company not to contact Burke. However, despite these directives, Kim and Messenger reportedly met with Burke in Washington, D.C., in July 2021, in an attempt to revive Company As business relationship with the Navy.
The indictment alleges that during the July 2021 meeting, the defendants agreed that Burke would leverage his position as a Navy Admiral to direct a sole-source contract to Company A in return for future employment at the company. The Department of Justice further reveals that the defendants agreed that Burke would use his official position to influence other Navy officers to award another contract to Company A, a contract that Kim estimated to be worth triple digit millions.
In December 2021, Burke allegedly instructed his staff to award a $355,000 contract to Company A for training personnel under his command in Italy and Spain. The training was conducted by Company A in January 2022. Subsequently, Burke is said to have promoted Company A in an unsuccessful attempt to persuade a senior Navy Admiral to award another contract to the company.
To hide the scheme, Burke allegedly made several false and misleading statements to the Navy, including creating the illusion that he had no role in issuing the contract and falsely suggesting that Company As employment discussions with Burke only began months after the contract was awarded.
In October 2022, Burke started working at Company A with an annual starting salary of $500,000 and a grant of 100,000 stock options.
U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves stated, As alleged in the indictment, Admiral Burke used his public office and his four-star status for his private gain. The law does not make exceptions for admirals or CEOs. Those who pay and receive bribes must be held accountable. The urgency is at its greatest when, as here, senior government officials and senior executives are allegedly involved in the corruption.
Grant A. Fleming, Deputy Director, Department of Defense, Office of Inspector Generals, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), said, Todays indictment exemplifies our unwavering commitment to eradicating fraud within the DoD. Together with our federal partners, DCIS will persist in dismantling attempts to defraud the U.S. Government.
Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the NCIS Economic Crimes Field Office commented, NCIS takes every allegation of corruption within the Department of the Navy seriously, regardless of rank or position. NCIS and our partners remain committed to rooting out criminality that degrades public trust in the Department of the Navy.
FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott said, Burke allegedly steered a lucrative contract to Kim and Messengers company in exchange for the promise of future employment and then lied to try to conceal the scheme.
As a four-star admiral, Burke not only cheated U.S. taxpayers but also did a disservice to military personnel under his command. As this indictment demonstrates, the FBI and our partners remain committed to investigating and prosecuting corrupt officials regardless of their rank or title.
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