Attention all prayer warriors who like average barbeque and are fine with good ol’ boys ripping off taxpayers and the government, Brent Swadley could use your assistance!
Earlier this week, the Oklahoma County Sheriff threw the local media a rib bone and finally released the mugshot of famed BBQ grifter Brent Swadley and his slow-cooked accomplices, giving every news outlet a go-to image for all future coverage of the Swadley’s Foggy Bottom Swindle.
Check out these pork butts:
Geeze. Couldn’t they give Swadley a step stool, milk crate or big ol’ pile of fraudulent invoices to stand on for the mugshot?
Also, would it hurt Brent to smile? He looks about as happy as an office worker learning that Swadley’s is being brought in for Employee Appreciation Day.
Despite the overwhelming volume of evidence, public records and paper trails that make it seem pretty obvious that Swadley’s guilty as charged, Brent has taken a very Trumpian stand against the charges and denied any wrongdoing.
He’s trying to make it seem like he’s the victim of a political witch hunt, and going with the excuse that it’s apparently okay for him to defraud the state because he opened up the restaurants quickly:
For what it’s worth, if I had a gig where I could tack a 20% - 30% management and consulting fee on top of every inflated invoice I sent to the state, I’d also make sure to work hard and fast and get as many invoices out as possible.
Although some people seem to buy what Swadley is smoking, I guess the accusations, indictments and all the media coverage about his alleged wrongdoing have put a financial strain on his family, and the “world-famous” barbeque chain that most people outside of Oklahoma City have never heard about.
As a result, he’s now asking for prayers to help them endure the crisis he created:
Yep, that’s right!
As opposed to doing the godly thing and admitting to his alleged crimes and wrongdoings, and asking for forgiveness and mercy, Brent has decided to not take accountability for his actions that hurt and impacted the people around him, and instead ask for prayers to help overcome and get away with it.
I guess you can't really blame him. I believe it was during his sermon on the Mount when Christ said:
"Verily, I say unto you, blessed are the brisket bilkers, for they shall inherit the sauce. Fear not the path of smoke and mirrors, for management fees shall be seen as marbled virtues in the kingdom of grift. Render unto Caesar not the dues of honesty, but the smokescreens of invoicing creativity, for it is by the grill's grace one shall find their way through the narrow gate of audits unscathed."
Instead of asking for invocation that business picks up at Swadley’s, Brent should probably be asking his followers to pray for mercy in the Oklahoma criminal justice system!
I texted a couple of well-known Oklahoma criminal defense attorneys for their thoughts on the case and, specifically, if Swadley will someday be dolling out piles of BBQ in a prison cafeteria.
Their replies have been edited for clarity and are located below:
Ogle Mole #1:
I think he is looking at jail time. This is a high-profile case, and it looks like the state is looking to make an example out of him. If Swadley’s lawyers quickly try to cut a deal he may be able to avoid a prison sentence, but if he goes to trial and is found guilty he would most definitely be looking at some time behind bars. I think an indicator of what’s to come is how much time passes. The more time that goes by the less likely a plea deal will happen, and it will go to trial.
Ogle Mole #2:
Unless there are some aggravating factors, a lot of white-collar cases are mostly probation, fines, restitution, and a felony conviction. These defendants rarely have any past criminal history, and have all kinds of “good character” type of evidence to mitigate sentencing.
But if the victims are compelling (the state is usually not a very sympathetic victim), or the dollar loss amount is so shocking, jail time is a possibility. That usually scares people enough to cough up big money and negotiate a plea.
It will be interesting what happens with this case and the Swadley's Foggy Bottom Swindle.
Will Swadley’s legal team try to go for a quick plea deal to pay restitution and avoid jail time, or will it go to trial? If it does end up in court, will the state lay the smackdown, or will Swadley's prayers be answered with him being acquitted of all charges?
Just like fresh meat being thrown on the smoker, I guess only time will tell.
Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.
