Retired U.S. Navy Admiral Arrested In Connection With Bribery Scheme

Robert Burke was a four-star Admiral who oversaw Naval operations in Europe, Russia, and most of Africa. Credit: U.S. Navy

COCONUT CREEK, Florida - Robert Burke, 62, of Coconut Creek, Florida, a retired Navy Admiral, and two business executives – Yongchul “Charlie” Kim, 50, and Meghan Messenger, 47, both of New York, – were arrested this morning on charges related to their alleged roles in a bribery scheme that involved a U.S. government contract. 

The charges are contained in a five-count indictment that relate to an alleged scheme in which the Admiral allegedy accepted future employment at the executives’ company in exchange for awarding them a government contract.   

From 2020 to 2022, Robert Burke was a four-star Admiral who oversaw Naval operations in Europe, Russia, and most of Africa, and commanded thousands of civilian and military personnel. Yongchul “Charlie” Kim and Meghan Messenger were the co-CEOs of a company (“Company A”) that provided a workforce training pilot program to a small component of the Navy from August 2018 through July 2019. 

The Navy terminated a contract with Company A in late 2019 and directed Company A not to contact Burke.

 

Despite the Navy’s instructions, Kim and Messenger then allegedly met with Burke in Washington, D.C., in July 2021, in an effort to reestablish Company A’s business relationship with the Navy. At the meeting, the charged defendants allegedly agreed that Burke would use his position as a Navy Admiral to steer a sole-source contract to Company A in exchange for future employment at the company. 

They allegedly further agreed that Burke would use his official position to influence other Navy officers to award another contract to Company A to train a large portion of the Navy with a value Kim allegedly estimated to be “triple digit millions.” 

In furtherance of the conspiracy, in December 2021, Burke allegedly ordered his staff to award a $355,000 contract to Company A to train personnel under Burke’s command in Italy and Spain. Company A performed the training in January 2022. 

Thereafter, Burke allegedly promoted Company A in a failed effort to convince a senior Navy Admiral to award another contract to Company A. 

To conceal the scheme, Burke allegedly made several false and misleading statements to the Navy, including by creating the false appearance that Burke played no role in issuing the contract and falsely implying that Company A’s employment discussions with Burke only began months after the contract was awarded. 

In October 2022, Burke began working at Company A at a yearly starting salary of $500,000 and a grant of 100,000 stock options. 

“As alleged in the indictment, Admiral Burke used his public office and his four-star status for his private gain,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. 

“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.”