Retired Navy Four-Star Admiral Robert P. Burke Arrested in Bribery Scheme

Burke was arrested along with Yongchul “Charlie” Kim, 50, and Meghan Messenger, 47, founders of the New York-based technology services company Next Jump, prosecutors said.

All three face charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and bribery, punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Burke faces additional charges of performing acts affecting personal financial interest and concealing material facts, punishable by up to 30 years.

Although the indictment does not name the company, its description matches that of Next Jump, a New York company whose website identifies Kim and Messenger as among its founders about 30 years ago and as its current co-CEOs. The company lists the U.S. Navy as a customer and announced on social media that Burke joined Next Jump in October 2022, which matches the timeline of the allegations in the indictment.

Burke, Kim and Messenger could not immediately be reached for comment, and court records in South Florida and Manhattan did not immediately identify their attorneys. Next Jump did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In a statement, federal law enforcement and military officials said the charges illustrate a commitment to “rooting out fraud” within the Department of Defense.

“As alleged in the indictment, Admiral Burke used his public office and four-star status for personal gain,” said United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves. “The law makes no exceptions for admirals or CEOs. … The urgency is at its height when, as here, senior officials and senior executives are suspected of being involved in corruption.”

Before retiring in 2022, Burke oversaw naval operations in Europe, Russia and most of Africa. A native of Portage, Michigan, Burke served from June 2019 to June 2020 as the 40th Vice Chief of Naval Operations, the service's No. 2 ranking officer. He succeeded retired Adm. William Moran, who was set to take over as the Navy's top officer in August 2019 before retiring unexpectedly, citing his interactions with a subordinate accused of inappropriately towards female officers.

According to Burke's Navy biography, he is an electrical engineer and submariner by training who has served in numerous positions around the world. He was chief of naval personnel, responsible for manpower, personnel, training and education, when the events described in the indictment began.

According to charging documents, Kim and Messenger were co-CEOs of a company described in the indictment only as “Company A,” which provided a workforce training pilot program. worked on a small component of the Navy from August 2018 to July 2019. The Navy terminated a contract with the company and ordered it not to contact Burke, according to the government.

But Kim and Messenger reportedly met with Burke in Washington in July 2021 to revive his Navy business and agreed that Burke would use his position as a four-star admiral to enter into a sole-source contract with Company A in exchange for future employment . Federal investigators said Burke also allegedly agreed to influence other officers to award another contract to Company A to train a large portion of the Navy, a contract Kim valued at “millions to three numbers “.

Burke allegedly ordered his team to award a $355,000 contract to the company in December 2021 to train personnel under his command in Italy and Spain, according to government investigators. He also has promoted the company in an unsuccessful attempt to persuade another senior admiral to award him another contract. Burke also allegedly made false statements to the Navy to make it appear that he had no role in the award of the contract and to imply that his employment negotiations began months after the contract was awarded. , federal authorities said.

Burke began working at Company A in October 2022 with an annual starting salary of $500,000 and a grant of 100,000 stock options, the government claimed. That same month, Next Jump announced on Twitter that Burke had become a senior partner at the firm.

Only one U.S. Navy admiral has been convicted of committing a federal crime while on active duty; Rear Admiral Robert Gilbeau faces sentencing this summer after pleading guilty to corruption and fraud charges nine years ago.