Ex-Navy Admiral Sentenced to Prison in Bribery Scandal

By Staff, Agencies

Retired US Navy Admiral Robert Burke, once the service’s second-highest ranking officer, has been sentenced to six years in prison for bribery and related offenses, federal prosecutors announced on Tuesday.

Burke, 62, was found guilty in May of conspiring with the executives of Next Jump, a private firm, to award the company a Navy training contract in exchange for future employment.

The deal revived a $355,000 contract for programs similar to those that had previously been scrapped after being “poorly received,” according to prosecutors.

As commander of US Naval Forces in Europe and Africa, Burke allegedly met privately with Next Jump co-CEOs Yongchul Kim and Meghan Messenger, who promised him a lucrative post-retirement job.

After leaving the Navy in 2022, he joined the company with a starting salary of $500,000 and 100,000 stock options.

US Attorney Jeanine Pirro condemned Burke’s actions, saying he had “turned four stars into dollar signs and traded duty for a corporate payday”.

Burke’s attorneys said they would appeal the verdict, describing his behavior as a “tragic deviation” from an otherwise distinguished 40-year career. They also argued that the compensation he received from Next Jump was far less than what a retired four-star admiral could typically command in the private sector.