A former deputy chief of naval operations arrested on Friday on charges of bribery, according to CNN.
Robert Peter Burke, retired four-star admiral, faces charges of acting with personal financial interests and concealing material facts from the United States. He faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. Prosecutors say Burke secretly helped company executives secure a contract with the US government to train a contingent of Navy forces in two european countries, Italy and Spain.
In addition, Yongchul Kim and Megan Messenger, stand charged with bribery and conspiracy, the Justice Department said. Kim and Messenger face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Timothy Parlatore, who is representing Burke in court, told CNN on Friday that Burke is contesting the prosecutors’ charges. He said: “We intend to take these charges to trial, and we expect he will be found not guilty.”
Also, court documents only refer to the company as Company A. But NextJump’s website lists Kim and Messenger as co-CEOs and mentions a contract with the US Navy, which is consistent with the court documents.
In exchange for the contract, Kim and Messenger promised Burke lucrative jobs. According to prosecutors, that promise came to fruition, with Burke joining Company A in October 2022 at a starting annual salary of $500,000.
In addition, prosecutors allege that Burke repeatedly lied to the Navy to make it appear that he was not involved in the contract between the Navy and Company A. Especially how he began discussing employment opportunities with Company A later, “months after the contract was awarded.”
