Robert Burns of Brevard County Faces 20 Years in Federal Prison After Pleading Guilty to COVID-19-Related Wire Fraud
By Space Coast Daily // November 2, 2024
plea agreement follows Florida judge finding Burns guilty of 50 counts of election fraud
ORLANDO, FLORIDA – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced that Robert William Burns, III, 44, of Rockledge, faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to COVID-19-related wire fraud.
According to the plea agreement, in 2021, Burns applied for three Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loans to support two of his businesses – RB3 Ventures LLC and The Social Wizards.
In all three applications, Burns made false statements to obtain the loans. In one instance, he inflated his company’s income to obtain a larger payout and supported the application with false or fictitious tax documents.
In total, Burns fraudulently obtained $57,186 in PPP funds and spent all the funds on non-business purposes.
As part of his plea agreement, Burns has agreed to forfeit $57,186 and make full restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The United States Secret Service and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan.
Sentencing is set for January 22, 2025.
The plea agreement follows a Florida state administrative law judge’s August finding of Burns guilty of 50 counts of election fraud.
