Brent Swadley Waives Right To Preliminary Hearing

Brent Swadley who is accused of conspiring to defraud the state waived his right to a preliminary hearing and is bound over for trial.

Swadley was in court Friday ahead of the preliminary hearing, which was set for Monday.

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Fillings in the state's lawsuit against Swadley's Foggy Bottom Kitchen say the restaurant group owes the Oklahoma Department of Tourism millions of dollars.

According to the lawsuit, Swadley's said the state owed the restaurant nearly $2.6 million.

The state responded, saying Swadley's actually owes the Department of Tourism $4.7 million.

This all stems from a failed contract with the Oklahoma Department of Tourism that cost more than $16 million in tax dollars.

The state's response to Swadley's request for money includes mentions of criminal indictments.

A multi-county grand jury indicted Ronald Brent Swadley, Curtis Ray Breuklander, and Timothy Raymond Hooper on one felony count of conspiracy to defraud the state and five felony counts of presenting false or fraudulent claims against the state.

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Prosecutors said that Swadley’s Foggy Bottom Kitchen presented false invoices to the Tourism Department for payment of public funds, and they worked with a restaurant supplier to fabricate invoices with inflated amounts.

Attorney General Gentner Drummond said his office will prosecute the men on behalf of the people of Oklahoma.