Brevard political consultant, Space Coast Rocket owner, arrested for alleged PPP loan fraud

Robert Burns, a Brevard County political consultant and owner of the Space Coast Rocket local news website, was arrested in federal court Tuesday on charges relating to an alleged pandemic loan fraud scheme, according to court files.

An indictment handed down by a grand jury Monday in the Middle District of Florida accused Burns of fraudulently obtaining over $57,000 in loans through the federal Paycheck Protection Program, established during the COVID-19 pandemic to help struggling small businesses.

Prosecutors say Burns misrepresented his income and submitted false tax documents on loan applications to the program between March and April, 2021, using the funds to buy cryptocurrency and in "gambling-related transactions," according to the indictment. He is charged with three counts of federal wire fraud.

Burns turned himself in at an arraignment in Orlando Tuesday afternoon and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was released with pre-trial conditions, court records show.

The maximum penalty for wire fraud committed during an emergency declared under the federal Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (which included COVID-19) is up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million dollar fine, according to federal statute. Defendants convicted of the crime have typically received far less.

Burns was represented Tuesday by Brevard County criminal defense attorney Jessica Travis. She issued a statement on his behalf, accusing Burns' political enemies — including Brevard State Rep. Randy Fine (R-Melbourne Beach), with whom Burns has had a long public feud — of working to manufacture charges against him.

"It's no secret that those who politically oppose Mr. Burns have filed MANY frivolous civil and criminal complaints against him. They obsessively use social media to spread lies and harass him. Randy Fine even admitted during a recent deposition to sending a text that he would do everything in his power 'to make him (Burns) suffer,'" Travis said in the written statement.

"Mr. Burns will cooperate with law enforcement but continue to serve the community he returned to after the Army — even as others relentlessly try to silence him," Travis wrote.

Fine hit back in his own statement Tuesday, saying Travis' comments "should be taken with a big grain of salt."

"Robert Burns only has one person to blame" for his various legal troubles, Fine said. "Himself. ... He is a clear and present danger to our community — and should rot in prison."

Burns has faced mounting legal challenges over the past year. In addition to the federal case, he is set for a final hearing this week for unrelated allegations of election law violations in connection with his political consulting and electioneering.

He also has a pending case on assault and witness tampering charges for a September incident, in which he videotaped himself confronting a Fine supporter who Burns said made inappropriate Facebook comments about his children at her workplace in Melbourne. Burns has denied the charges.

Eric Rogers is a watchdog reporter for FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Rogers at 321-242-3717 or esrogers@floridatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Brevard political consultant, Space Coast Rocket owner facing charges