Feds charge retired 4-star Navy admiral in alleged bribery scheme

washington —Federal prosecutors have charged a retired four-star Navy admiral—who most recently served as a U.S. commander Navy Forces in Europe and Africa — of participating in an alleged bribery scheme with a government contractor to secure employment after his retirement.

A grand jury in Washington, D.C., indicted Admiral Robert Burke (retired) on four counts, including conspiracy and bribery, according to court documents unsealed Friday.

Prosecutors said Burke allegedly secured a government contract for his co-defendants Yongchul “Charlie” Kim and Meghan Messenger — described in the indictment as executives at an unnamed company that distributes “job perks” and training programs — in exchange for a future employment.

“Admiral Burke vehemently denies these allegations and has served his country honorably. We intend to take this case to trial and obtain an acquittal,” Burke’s attorney, Timothy Parlatore, said in a statement to CBS News.

Investigators alleged that Burke, Kim and Messenger began communicating about a new contract for the company for “work perks” in 2021, years after the Navy officially cut ties with the corporation. According to court documents, they began discussions after Burke and his office rejected the company’s initial proposals, citing U.S. Navy policy.

In April 2021, prosecutors said the trio spoke via WhatsApp. “Burke wants to work for us, but we’re asking for a deal first,” Kim said after the call, adding that Messenger “sounded disgusting,” the indictment revealed.

Weeks later, according to charging documents, Burke asked an unidentified individual to find financing to secure the company a contract with U.S. Naval Forces in Europe and Africa. And in July, he reportedly met with Kim, Messenger and another unidentified individual for lunch in Washington, D.C., during which they discussed the admiral ensuring the company received its federal contract.

“In exchange [they] offered Burke a job at Company A – with a salary of at least $500,000 per year and a grant of 100,000 stock options… starting after Burke retired from the Navy,” prosecutors wrote.

According to the Federal Public Ministry, in August 2021, the admiral announced that he intended to retire in May 2022.

In December 2021, investigators accused Burke of allegedly ordering the drafting of a contract for the business. Weeks later, Burke’s unit submitted a purchase order for more than $350,000 for the company to conduct a training program in Italy and Spain. Prosecutors said employees working for Kim and Messenger’s company officially offered the training to Navy personnel based in those countries in January 2022.

Burke’s employment with the company began in October 2022, court documents allege.

Kim and Messenger are listed as “Co-CEOs” of Next Jump, a New York-based company that offers “work perks” and training programs for employers. The company did not immediately respond to multiple requests for comment from CBS News, and lawyers for the pair were not immediately identified.

Prosecutors also accused Burke of allegedly concealing his conduct from Navy officials while promoting the company’s work to others. He is accused of hiding the job offer he received from the company while still serving in the Navy and instead telling the Department of Defense that he intended to “initiate discussion” with Kim and Messenger after his retirement.

Parlatore, Burke’s attorney, questioned the timeline of events described in the indictment and said the evidence will ultimately disprove prosecutors’ claims.

In a statement, Grand Fleming, deputy director of the Department of Defense’s office of inspector general, said, “Today’s indictment exemplifies our unwavering commitment to rooting out fraud within the DoD.”