A retired four-star Navy admiral who once held one of the highest positions in the U.S. Navy has been found guilty of a brazen bribery scheme that federal prosecutors say traded integrity for influence and cash.

Adm. Robert Burke, former vice chief of naval operations, was convicted Monday by a federal jury in Washington, D.C., on charges of bribery, performing acts affecting a personal financial interest, and concealing material facts.

Burke, who oversaw U.S. naval operations across Europe, Russia, and most of Africa from 2020 to 2022, faces sentencing on August 22. He could receive a prison sentence ranging from 20 to 30 years.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, Burke abused his position to steer a Navy contract toward Next Jump, a private executive training company, in exchange for a lucrative job with the firm after his retirement.

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“When you abuse your position and betray the public trust to line your own pockets, it undermines the confidence in the government you represent,” said interim U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro in a statement.

“Our office, with our law enforcement partners, will root out corruption — be it bribes or illegal contracts — and hold accountable the perpetrators, no matter what title or rank they hold.”

The conviction marks a historic first: Burke is the most senior military official ever convicted of committing a federal crime while still on active duty, according to The Washington Post.

The relationship between Burke and Next Jump dates back to Burke’s efforts to address a culture of ethical lapses within the Navy, particularly in the wake of the notorious “Fat Leonard” corruption scandal involving defense contractor Leonard Francis.

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Seeking solutions, Burke engaged with Next Jump, which had previously conducted workforce training for the Navy in 2018 and 2019.

That relationship, however, had officially ended when the Navy terminated the contract in late 2019 and warned the company not to contact Burke again.

Despite that directive, Burke met with Next Jump’s co-CEOs, Charlie Kim and Meghan Messenger, in July 2021 in Washington, D.C., to discuss reestablishing the company's business with the Navy.

According to prosecutors, the trio reached an agreement that Burke would use his position to help secure contracts for the company in exchange for future personal gain.

In December 2021, Burke ordered his command staff to award a $355,000 contract to Next Jump to train Navy personnel stationed in Italy and Spain.

He later attempted to secure an additional contract by lobbying another admiral, all while making “false and misleading statements to the Navy” to cover up his actions, the government said.

One year later, in October 2022, Burke accepted a position with Next Jump that came with an annual salary of $500,000 and 100,000 stock options.

“I was allowing myself to be influenced in ways that were inappropriate,” Burke admitted during a secretly recorded interview with Navy criminal investigators on October 3, 2023, according to The Washington Post.

“I put myself in positions that allowed [Next Jump] to influence me, and I didn’t fully disclose everything.”

Burke’s defense attorney, Tim Parlatore, criticized the proceedings and called the guilty verdict wrongful. In comments to Military.com, Parlatore argued that the trial was rushed and that key evidence was excluded.

“This case demonstrates that when you start with a bad investigation by incompetent investigators, you end up with a case that the only way you can get a conviction is by hiding the evidence from the jury,” Parlatore said.

Parlatore also noted the trial, originally scheduled to last three weeks, concluded in just five days—an indication, he said, that the prosecution didn’t present a complete picture.

Meanwhile, the co-CEOs of Next Jump, Charlie Kim and Meghan Messenger, who were also implicated in the scheme, are expected to face trial in August.

Their attorney, Reed Brodsky, expressed confidence that their trial will tell a very different story.

“I expect the evidence will show that Burke and others at the Navy misled Charlie and Meghan in material ways, and they reasonably relied on Burke who was lying to them,” Brodsky told The Washington Post.

“I think it’ll be embarrassing for the Navy.”

The case has cast a shadow over the upper echelons of military leadership and highlighted concerns about the revolving door between the military and private defense contractors.

As the Navy and broader military institutions grapple with maintaining ethical standards, this high-profile conviction serves as a stark reminder of the consequences when public servants put personal ambition ahead of public duty.

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