VERO BEACH – Brian Burkeen, the former second in command of Indian River Fire Rescue, on Monday morning entered a plea of “no contest” to stealing more than a quarter million dollars in tires purchased with taxpayer money.
Burkeen, a Fellsmere resident, was scheduled to go to trial on March 9.
On April 30, Judge Dan Vaughn will sentence Burkeen to somewhere between the minimum 48 months to the maximum of 10 years in prison. Witnesses for the prosecution and defense will be heard before the sentence is handed down.
Charging documents say Burkeen, over nearly five years’ time, fraudulently ordered and picked up more than 1,400 tires worth $288,000, charging them to the Indian River Emergency Services District account. Then he sold the tires to people he knew through social media postings, and kept the proceeds.
Just weeks after Burkeen retired in February 2018, suspicious invoices were turned over to the Indian River Sheriff’s Office to unravel the scheme to steal from the taxpayers. Burkeen worked under the direct supervision of Fire Chief John King, who also retired in 2018.