This week, Admiral Robert Burke (USN-Ret.) from Coconut Creek, Florida, was found guilty of bribery for agreeing to accept a future position with a government vendor in return for awarding the business a government contract.
Following a five-day trial, a federal jury convicted Burke of conspiracy to commit bribery, actions impacting personal financial interests, and the concealment of significant information from the United States. U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden has scheduled the sentencing for August 22, 2025.
The verdict was announced by Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office, Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, and Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
Abusing one’s position and violating public trust for personal gain erodes the confidence in the government one serves. Our office, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies, is committed to eliminating corruption—whether through bribery or unlawful contracts—and ensuring that those responsible are held accountable, regardless of their title or rank,” stated U.S. Attorney Pirro.
Burke, a four-star admiral, oversaw United States Navy operations in Europe, Russia, and much of Africa from 2020 to 2022, as documented in court records and evidence presented during the trial. He was also in command of thousands of civilian and military personnel during this period.
From August 2018 to July 2019, the two co-defendants, Kim and Messenger, held the positions of co-chief executive officers at a company referred to as Firm A. During this period, they developed and executed a pilot program for workforce training aimed at a select segment of the Navy.
At the conclusion of 2019, the Navy terminated a contract with Company A and directed the firm to avoid any communication with Burke. In July 2021, the co-defendants traveled to Washington, D.C., to engage with Burke in an effort to restore Company A’s business relationship with the Navy, an action taken in defiance of the Navy’s instructions.
During their meeting, the defendants reached an understanding that Burke would leverage his role as a Navy Admiral to facilitate a contract for Firm A in return for prospective employment at the company.
They allegedly concurred that Burke would utilize his official capacity to persuade other Navy officials to award another contract to Company A for training a significant segment of the Navy, with the estimated value of this contract purportedly reaching into the ‘triple-digit millions.
In December 2021, Burke instructed his team to finalize a contract with Company A to provide training for personnel under his command in Italy and Spain, with a total value of $355,000.
The training was conducted by Company A during January 2022. Subsequently, Burke promoted Company A in a failed effort to convince another senior Navy Admiral to award Company A an additional contract, which ultimately did not succeed.
Burke made several deceptive and misleading statements to the Navy to conceal the fraudulent activities. These statements included inaccurately claiming that discussions regarding employment with Company A commenced only a few months after the contract was awarded, as well as failing to disclose pertinent information on his required government ethics forms.
In October 2022, Burke commenced employment with Company A, receiving a grant of 100,000 stock options and an initial annual salary of $500,000. This matter is under investigation by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S.
Attorney Rebecca G. Ross for the District of Columbia, along with Trial Attorneys Trevor Wilmot and Kathryn E. Fifield from the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section, and was investigated and indicted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Rothstein.
