Crime US Navy Admiral Arrested for Bribery & Conspiracy

[Rhood]

A retired four-star admiral was arrested on Friday on charges that he took part in a bribery scheme while commanding American naval forces in Europe, Russia and Africa.

Federal prosecutors said that Robert P. Burke, 62, of Coconut Creek, Fla., who was once the Navy’s second-highest-ranking officer, steered a government contract to a company in exchange for a job at the firm with a yearly base salary of $500,000 and a grant of 100,000 stock options.

The two co-chief executives of the company, Yongchul Kim, 50, who is known as Charlie, and Meghan Messenger, 47, both of New York, were also arrested and charged with taking part in the scheme.
The company, which was not named in federal court documents, provided a work force training pilot program to a small part of the Navy from August 2018 through July 2019 until the Navy terminated its contract in late 2019 and directed it not to contact Admiral Burke.

Despite the Navy’s instructions, Mr. Kim and Ms. Messenger met with Admiral Burke in Washington in July 2021, and proposed that he steer a work force training contract back to the company, prosecutors said in an indictment.
The executives also proposed that Admiral Burke remain in the Navy for another six months, using his position to influence other senior officers to award a larger training contract to the company.
Mr. Kim estimated that the value of that contract would be in the “triple digit millions.”
In exchange, Admiral Burke was offered a job with stock options at the company after his retirement from the Navy, which he “agreed to accept,” the indictment said. He went to work for the company in October 2022, shortly after he left the Navy that year.

Admiral Burke was charged with conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, performing acts affecting a personal financial interest and concealment of material facts from the United States. If convicted, he would face up to 30 years in prison.

US navy admiral arrested for alleged bribery scheme with training company

Robert Burke, four-star admiral and once navy’s second-highest-ranking officer, accused of trading contract for high-paying job

www.theguardian.com

 

[Thrawn33]

I'm not suprised...

 

[Darkballs]

Well, the Navy still has yardarms and rope.

 

[LeonardoBjj]

I'm not suprised...

- Why?

 

[Fluffernutter]

"...steered a government contract to a company in exchange for a job at the firm..."

I assumed this was a common occurrence for people in Congress and the executive branch

 

[USA!USA!]

Greedy traitor

 

[Joe Mama]

- Why?

Because I served under a CO who ultimately made it to 4 star status and had the ear of the standing president. That sonofabitch did lots of underhanded shit to further his agenda.

Its the reason he trumped his brothers and own father in admirialism.
Ruthless SOB

 

[HunterAcosta]

I think this is one of those things where a shit ton of high ranking CO’s in all branches do this kind of shit , but he either got sloppy and too obvious , unlucky cause they needed their yearly crook quota or had enemies and pissed off wrong people. The “ everybody does it “ excuse doesn’t apply either Orange Haired Daddy cultists. Drug dealers can’t use that excuse, murderers, people speeding , woman abusers etc . "Yeah I murdered my wife but do you KNOW how many men kill their wives annually and have killed their wives across the world history?! Even as we speak and IM getting singled out?!" When you get singled out , it’s your time, all there is to it. Whataboutisms never can be used at a legal strategy. I assume these kind of shenanigans with no bid contracts in exchange for money and favors kinda stuff happens in every branch of armed forces and every branch of govt , period, whether its local, state or federal. But if you get caught it was your time. Dont do illegal, corrupt shit and you prob wont go to jail for illegal, corrupt shit, the vast majority of the time.

 

[pinger]

Double

 

[pinger]

Greedy traitor

Oh well, he can still run for President

 

[Rhood]

I think this is one of those things where a shit ton of high ranking CO’s in all branches do this kind of shit , but he either got sloppy and too obvious , unlucky cause they needed their yearly crook quota or had enemies and pissed off wrong people. The “ everybody does it “ excuse doesn’t apply either Orange Haired Daddy cultists. Drug dealers can’t use that excuse, murderers, people speeding , woman abusers etc . "Yeah I murdered my wife but do you KNOW how many men kill their wives annually and have killed their wives across the world history?! Even as we speak and IM getting singled out?!" When you get singled out , it’s your time, all there is to it. Whataboutisms never can be used at a legal strategy. I assume these kind of shenanigans with no bid contracts in exchange for money and favors kinda stuff happens in every branch of armed forces and every branch of govt , period, whether its local, state or federal. But if you get caught it was your time. Dont do illegal, corrupt shit and you prob wont go to jail for illegal, corrupt shit, the vast majority of the time.

He thought he could swindle the entire Department of Defense.
Maybe he was counting on Trump staying in the White House for 8 years in a row.
Maybe he was too dumb to realize that DoD cabinet members get swapped out after every Presidential election (unless they get reelected) and military spending gets audited every cycle.

I get the impression that he thought when he retired, he would be set for life.
So he generated a new contract and signed off without prior approval, and thought to himself "I'm retiring after this. The fuck do I need approval for?"
I guarantee to you he failed to do enough bribing, or failed to bribe the successor officer that moved into his former position.
It wouldn't matter regardless because the DoD went with a different cost effective resolution and terminated any future business contracts with that company.
Unfortunately for the Admiral, his brain doesn't operate like a criminal mastermind.
Once you take bribes, you end up giving out more bribes.
It ultimately becomes a web, where many people have to be bribed & influenced.

This is how lobbying works and this dumbass doesn't have enough power and resources.
Taking a few commanding officers in your inner circle to Applebee's for dinner doesn't count.