Jury trial begins against Swadley's co-founder

Added: 2026-05-22

[00:00:01]THIS IS KOCO FIVE NEWS AT SIX.

[00:00:05]THE CRIMINAL TRIAL OF ONE OF OKLAHOMA’S MOST WELL KNOWN RESTAURATEURS STARTED TODAY.

[00:00:10]AND WE LEARNED TWO PEOPLE ALSO ACCUSED OF DEFRAUDING THE STATE PLEADED GUILTY BEFORE THE TRIAL STARTED.

[00:00:17]SO NOW IT IS JUST.

[00:00:19]BRANT SWADLEY OF SWADLEY BARBECUE FACING A JURY.

[00:00:22]KOCO EVAN ONSTOT JOINING US LIVE.

[00:00:24]EVAN, THAT PLEA DEAL A SURPRISING MOMENT, REALLY.

[00:00:26]AND THE IMMEDIATE QUESTION IS, WILL THOSE TWO WHO JUST TOOK THE PLEA DEALS TESTIFY IN THIS CASE AGAINST BRANT SWADLEY?

[00:00:33]TWO PEOPLE DID TESTIFY TODAY, BUT NOT THEM.

[00:00:36]BUT LET’S BACK UP ON WHY WE’RE EVEN HERE IN 2022.

[00:00:40]THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM CANCELED THE CONTRACT WITH SWADLEY AT STATE PARKS ACROSS THE STATE, ACCUSING SWADLEY OF FRAUD.

[00:00:48]PROSECUTORS SAY THE RESTAURANT SENT THEM FAKE INVOICES WITH INFLATED AMOUNTS.

[00:00:52]THE CONSPIRACY, ALLEGEDLY BEGINNING IN 2019, ACCORDING TO THE INDICTMENT, THE COMPANY’S CO-FOUNDER BRANT SWADLEY, PREVIOUSLY TOLD US HIS COMPANY WAS BEING USED AS A PAWN IN POLITICAL GAMESMANSHIP.

[00:01:04]WHETHER THAT’S TRUE OR NOT, THE ALLEGATIONS DID LEAD TO TWO FORMER EMPLOYEES ENTERING NEGOTIATED GUILTY PLEAS TODAY.

[00:01:12]THE STATE HANDING DOWN MULTIPLE TEN YEAR SENTENCES TO CURTIS BROOKE LANDER TO SERVE UNDER PROBATION, AND A DEFERRED SENTENCE FOR TIMOTHY HOOPER UNTIL MAY OF 2031.

[00:01:23]MEANWHILE, THE TRIAL BEGAN BEGINNING TODAY WITH WITNESS TESTIMONY IN THIS TRIAL AGAINST SWADLEY, A SPECIAL AGENT WITH OSBI TESTIFYING ABOUT THEIR INITIAL INVESTIGATION AND THE ATTORNEY FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM ALSO TESTIFIED IN COURT.

[00:01:36]THIS TRIAL IS EXPECTED TO PICK BACK UP WHERE IT LEFT OFF TOMORROW.