Jason Burns, 51, pleaded no contest on April 21, 2026, to arson and detonating a destructive device — nearly four years after a homemade pipe bomb exploded outside a Palm Coast home in 2022.
The original incident and investigation
The pipe bomb detonated at a Palm Coast home in 2022. Burns was not arrested until May 2024, following a joint investigation that lasted approximately two years. The investigation was led by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Homeland Security and Investigation Section, with assistance from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad. Investigators determined that Burns built the improvised explosive device and detonated it during a dispute with a neighbor.
Conviction and sentencing
On April 21, 2026, Burns entered a no contest plea to first-degree arson of a dwelling and discharge of a destructive device causing property damage. Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols adjudicated Burns guilty on both counts and sentenced him to five years in state prison. He received credit for 700 days already served in the county jail while his case was pending. Following his prison sentence, Burns will serve 15 years of probation.
“This guy had a dispute with his neighbor and decided to harass and menace them by making and exploding a homemade IED. Our Homeland Security and Investigation Section detectives conducted a very thorough investigation and built a strong case. We thank our partners from federal, state, and local agencies for their help in investigating this case.”
— Sheriff Rick Staly, Flagler County Sheriff’s Office
More information about the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is available at flaglersheriff.com.
The post Palm Coast Man Who Built and Detonated a Pipe Bomb in a Neighbor Dispute Is Headed to State Prison first appeared on Flagler County Buzz.
