Washington (AP) – Retired 4-star US Navy The Admiral was sentenced to six years in prison for him on Tuesday. Conviction for accusations of corruption He agreed to exchange military contracts for a favorable inauguration job.
According to federal prosecutors, retired Vice Admiral Robert P. Burke – once the second-highest uniformed officer in the Navy.
Ju judges convicted four counts of Burke after their trial in May, including conspiracy and acceptance of bribery. Another Trial for Two Co-Defendants in Burke – Next Jump Co-CEO-CEOS Yongchul “Charlie” Kim and Meghan Messenger ended in suspicious cases with a ju-degree hanging last Thursday.
Burke, 63, refused to address the court before District Judge Trevor McFadden of Washington, D.C.
“This was blatantly illegal, as you knew it,” the judge told him. “But you did that anyway.”
The judge told Burke that he betrayed the public’s trust and the oath of his job.
“This is a sad day and a sad chapter in the US Navy,” McFadden said.
Prosecutors said he abused a powerful position to enrich himself at the Navy’s expense, seeking 10 years in prison for Burke.
“Burke’s actions were blatant and terrible because they damaged the public’s trust in their leaders and corrupted the integrity of the procurement system.” The prosecutor wrote. “His crimes demand accountability. His crimes seek punishment.”
Burke’s lawyers say they will appeal his beliefs. They ask the judge to save Burke from prison, citing his “extraordinary life of public services.”
“This is not the case for career criminals.” They wrote. “It’s the case of a single, tragic, extraordinary chapter at the end of life, defined by honor, courage and commitment.”
According to prosecutors, Kim and the Messenger agreed to pay Burke a $500,000 salary on stock options, which is projected to be worth millions of dollars. Instead, Burke ordered his staff to enter into contracts with the next jump, saying he had promoted the company’s products to other senior naval commanders.
Burke’s lawyer said a military commander with his experience may have earned better paying jobs in the private sector.
“He was motivated by his company’s mission and belief in the product, not greed,” they wrote.
In 2018, the next jump had a multi-million dollar naval contract to provide workforce training to an office under Burke’s command. However, the Navy ended its “unacceptable” pilot program about a year later, prosecutors said.
In 2021, Burke met with Kim and the Messenger personally to discuss another contract. Kim and the Messenger proposed a contract “to essentially provide the same programming that they failed two years ago,” according to prosecutors. A few months later, Burke ordered his men to secure a contract for the next Jump to train Italian and Spanish naval personnel, prosecutors said.
“The truth is, Burke knew this training was a waste of time and money and was not suitable for his orders.
Burke later retired from the Navy and joined the next jump in October 2022.
Reed Brozky, one of Messenger’s lawyers, said there is no link between the job offer and the contract. Brodsky claimed at the trial that Burke repeatedly lied to Messenger and Kim about the contracting process.
“They were dependent on the admiral. The admiral was an expert. The admiral lied and hid,” Brozky told the ju judge.
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