Retired four-star admiral found guilty of bribery after accepting $500K a year job in exchange for lucrative Navy contract 

DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro notched a important ineligible triumph Monday aft retired four-star Navy Adm. Robert Burke was recovered blameworthy of bribery charges related to a strategy to steer authorities contracts to his early employer. 

Burke, who served arsenic nan vice main of naval operations during portion of President Trump’s first term, was convicted of conspiracy to perpetrate bribery, bribery, performing acts affecting a individual financial liking and concealing worldly facts from nan US aft a five-day trial. 

Formerly nan Navy’s second-highest-ranking officer, Burke is now nan senior-most personnel of nan US subject to ever beryllium convicted of a national crime. 

“When you maltreatment your position and deny nan nationalist spot to statement your ain pockets, it undermines nan assurance successful nan authorities you represent,” Pirro said successful a connection aft nan verdict. “Our office, pinch our rule enforcement partners, will guidelines retired corruption – beryllium it bribes aliases forbidden contracts – and clasp accountable nan perpetrators, nary matter what title aliases rank they hold.”

Burke, 63, was indicted successful nan case investigated by nan Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and nan FBI’s Washington Field Office past May.

He was accused of accepting a $500,000 yearly net and a assistance of 100,000 banal options from his co-conspirators, Yongchul “Charlie” Kim and Meghan Messenger, successful speech for utilizing his position arsenic a Navy admiral to steer a authorities contract to an entity named successful nan indictment arsenic “Company A.” 

Kim and Messenger – nan co-CEOs of “Company A” – had reached retired to Burke connected aggregate occasions betwixt 2019 and 2022 astir nan position of a authorities statement contempt being warned by nan Navy not to interaction nan four-star admiral, according to nan Justice Department. 

Company A had provided workforce training to a mini constituent of nan Navy betwixt August 2018 and July 2019 earlier nan company’s statement pinch nan Navy was terminated successful precocious 2019. 

“Despite nan Navy’s instructions, [Kim and Messenger] met pinch Burke successful Washington, D.C., successful July 2021,  to reestablish Company A’s business narration pinch nan Navy,” according to nan DOJ.

It was during that gathering that nan trio agreed to nan bribery scheme, which had Burke usage his sway pinch Navy officers to grant a much lucrative statement to Company A earlier his status and consequent acceptance of nan pre-arranged occupation pinch nan institution headed by Kim and Messenger. 

Kim allegedly estimated nan worth of nan early statement to beryllium worthy “triple-digit millions.” 

In December 2021, Burke ordered his unit to grant a $355,000 statement to Company A – to train unit nether his bid successful Italy and Spain – and promoted it to a elder Navy admiral earlier his retirement. 

The company, however, did not extremity up landing different statement pinch nan Navy aft Burke left.

Burke’s sentencing proceeding is scheduled for August, nan aforesaid period Kim and Messenger are slated to caput to proceedings connected their bribery charges. 

The retired admiral faces a maximum condemnation of 30 years successful prison. 

“We’re disappointed pinch nan verdict, but we are readying to entreaty – and I deliberation that there’s a viable entreaty here,” Burke’s attorney, Timothy Parlatore, told The Post. 

Parlatore contends that nan assemblage “did not get to perceive each of nan evidence,” including Burke’s “over two-hour interview” pinch rule enforcement, of which nan DC US Attorney’s Office “played little than 2 minutes of” successful court.  

“The judge didn’t fto nan assemblage perceive nan full thing, truthful they didn’t really get nan context” of Burke’s statements to investigators, Parlatore said. 

“The existent achromatic oculus is connected nan Pentagon here,” nan lawyer continued, slamming nan investigators. “DCIS [and] NCIS are 2 investigative agencies that are mostly stocked pinch imbeciles, pinch small training, nary ethics, nary leadership, nary big supervision, and we let them to destruct people’s lives.”