Feds Charge Retired 4-Star Navy Admiral Over Alleged Bribery Scheme

Washington — Federal prosecutors have charged a retired four-star Navy admiral — who most recently served as commander of U.S. Navy forces in Europe and Africa — with entering into an alleged bribery scheme with a government contractor to obtain a job after retirement.

A Washington, D.C., grand jury indicted Admiral Robert Burke (Ret.) on four counts, including conspiracy and bribery, according to court documents released Friday.

Prosecutors said Burke allegedly obtained a government contract for his co-defendants Yongchul “Charlie” Kim and Meghan Messenger – described in the indictment as executives of an unnamed company that distributes “work perks” and programs training – in exchange for future employment.

“Admiral Burke vehemently denies these accusations and has served his country honorably. We intend to bring this matter to trial and obtain an acquittal,” Burke's attorney, Timothy Parlatore, said in a statement at CBS News.

Investigators say Burke, Kim and Messenger began communicating about a new contract for the “work perks” company in 2021, years after the Navy officially cut ties with the company . According to court documents, they began discussions after Burke and his office rebuffed the company's initial proposals, citing U.S. Navy policy.

In April 2021, prosecutors said the trio spoke via WhatsApp. “Burke wants to work for us, but we’re asking for a deal first,” Kim allegedly said after the call, adding that Messenger “felt slimy,” the indictment reveals.

A few weeks later, according to charging documents, Burke asked an anonymous person to find funds to secure the company a contract with U.S. naval forces in Europe and Africa. And in July, he reportedly met with Kim, Messenger and another unnamed person for lunch in Washington, D.C., during which they discussed the admiral ensuring the company received its federal contract.

“In exchange, they offered Burke a job at Company A – with a salary of at least $500,000 per year and a grant of 100,000 stock options… beginning after Burke's retirement. Burke of the Navy,” prosecutors wrote.

According to federal prosecutors, in August 2021, the admiral announced his intention to retire in May 2022.

In December 2021, investigators charged Burke with allegedly ordering the drafting of a contract for the company. A few weeks later, Burke's unit submitted a purchase request worth more than $350,000 for the company to conduct a training program in Italy and Spain. Prosecutors said employees working for Kim and Messenger's company formally offered this training to Navy personnel based in those countries in January 2022.

Burke's employment with the company began in October 2022, according to court documents.

Kim and Messenger are listed as “co-CEOs” at Next Jump, a New York-based company that offers “workplace benefits” and training programs to employers. The company did not immediately respond to multiple requests for comment from CBS News, and attorneys for the two men were not immediately identified.

Prosecutors also accused Burke of allegedly hiding his conduct from Navy officials while promoting the company's work to others. He is accused of hiding the job offer he received from the company while still serving in the Navy and instead telling the Department of Defense that he had the plans to “start discussions” with Kim and Messenger after his retirement.

Parlatore, Burke's attorney, questioned the timeline of events as described in the indictment and said the evidence would ultimately disprove prosecutors' claims.

In a statement, Grand Fleming, deputy director of the Department of Defense's Office of Inspector General, said: “Today's indictment illustrates our unwavering commitment to rooting out fraud within the Department of Defense. defense. »