Retired four-star admiral convicted of corruption in landmark case

Retired four-star Admiral Robert P. Burke, who became the Navy's second-in-command, was convicted of corruption while on active duty. He thus becomes the highest-ranking member of the military to be convicted in the country's history.

A court ruled against Burke, 62, and two other defendants after a five-day trial. The courts found the retired admiral guilty of co-running a scheme which involved a New York company that awards training programs to the Navy to profit substantially.

Now, Burke could face a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison on charges of "conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, performing acts affecting his personal financial interests and concealing relevant facts." His sentencing is scheduled for August.

In the verdict, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Ferris Pirro took aim at Burke for taking advantage of his status to "line [his] own pockets."

"When you abuse your position and betray the public trust to line your own pockets, it undermines the confidence in the government you represent. 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," said Pirro.

The case

According to the investigation, the scheme began when the other two defendants, Yongchul Kim and Meghan Messenger, set up a company to obtain federal contracts. To facilitate the paperwork, they hired Burke, despite an order from the military not to do so, offering him a salary of $500,000 a year.

The culprits disregarded the military, and Burke agreed with Kim and Messenger to use their influence to obtain federal contracts. Specifically, the retired admiral sought to have a contract awarded to the company valued at $355,000 to provide training to soldiers stationed in Spain and Italy.

Court documents also state that Burke tried to convince a Navy commander to award another contract to the company run by the three defendants.

Prior to Burke, Kim and Messenger were arrested a year ago and charged with bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery. They could be sentenced to a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.