A former U.S. Navy vice chief of naval operations has been arrested on charges that he accepted bribes to help a defense company reacquire contracts from the service, Justice Department officials said in a Friday statement.
Robert Burke, 62, of Coconut Creek, Florida, along with two business executives, Yongchul “Charlie” Kim and Meghan Messenger of New York, were each charged with bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery.
“Burke is also charged with performing acts affecting a personal financial interest and concealing material facts from the United States. If convicted, Burke faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, and Kim and Messenger each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison,” the statement said.
A former submariner, Burke served as the 40th vice chief of naval operations from June 2019 until June 2020.
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