A former senior Navy officer was convicted on Monday in connection with a bribery scheme in which he steered a military contract to a specific company in exchange for a highly paid position at the company following his retirement from the service.
Retired four-star admiral Robert B. Burke, who retired as commander of U.S. naval forces for Europe and Africa in 2022, was convicted of bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery. This made him the highest-ranking U.S. military official ever convicted of a federal crime while on duty.
He faces up to 20 years in prison for the bribery charges, though first-time offenders often get lower penalties. He was found guilty of performing acts impacting personal financial interests and concealing material facts, and he faces a maximum of 30 years behind bars for those charges.
District Judge Trevor N. McFadden set Burke’s sentencing for August, and he is expected to appeal his conviction, according to the Washington Post. Burke’s attorney, Timothy C. Parlatore, called the verdict “very surprising and disappointing.”
Burke and two associates — Charlie Kim and Meghan Messenger — from the company Next Jump were arrested last May on charges related to the scheme. Kim and Messenger face trial this summer.
“As alleged in the indictment, Admiral Burke used his public office and his four-star status for his private gain,” said former U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves at the time of the arrests. “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.”
When Burke joined the company, he was given a salary of $500,000.
Prior to serving as the commander of U.S. naval forces for Europe and Africa, Burke was the vice chief of naval operations, the second-highest naval officer position.
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“I was allowing myself to be influenced in ways that were inappropriate,” Burke said in a secretly recorded interview with Navy criminal investigators that was played for the jury. “I put myself in positions that allowed them to influence me, and I didn’t fully disclose everything.”
Burke was allegedly having an extramarital affair with a career Pentagon official who was purportedly behind the initial complaint to the Pentagon’s inspector general once their relationship ended, which ultimately morphed into a criminal investigation. Parlatore has alleged that the individual misled investigators.
