Brent Swadley is cooked!

Pull that pork butt out of the smoker, wrap it in foil, and let it rest! The BBQ Trial of the Century is officially underway at the Oklahoma County Courthouse, and things are already getting extra saucy.

In case you weren’t aware – and the OKC media, us included, is here to make sure you are – Brent Swadley is finally on trial for allegedly defrauding the state out of millions of taxpayer dollars through his now-infamous Foggy Bottom Swindle.

But first…

In a development that probably has Swadley sweating more than a brisket at hour 11, two of his former top executives pleaded guilty right before jury selection resumed and agreed to testify against their old boss!

Yep, that’s right. Stick a fork in him, throw down a wet napkin, and complain to your mom that Swadley’s isn’t really that good – Swadley is screwed. Seriously, both of his co-conspirators flipped on him? That’s more disastrous than running out of pellets mid-cook!

The Oklahoman’s BBQ enthusiast Nolan Clay has been all over the case like a thick layer of salt and pepper, seasoning the story with tender tidbits.

Here’s what famed Swadley’s whistleblower Curtis Breuklander had to say in his plea paperwork:

Breuklander, 51, pleaded guilty to the conspiracy count and four of the fraudulent claims counts. “I did all of this at the direction of Brent Swadley,” he said in his plea paperwork.

He will be on probation for 10 years. His probation is the type known as a suspended sentence, which makes him a convicted felon...

In remarks to the judge about the deal, Deputy Attorney General Gayland Gieger said Breuklander began cooperating with the state in 2022 and has provided important information.

Breuklander left Swadley’s Bar-B-Q in September 2021.

“There were multiple reasons,” he testified at a pretrial hearing about his departure.

“I realized that what had happened ... was illegal and I didn’t want to be part of that,” he said. “I didn’t like the person Brent Swadley had become.”

In full disclosure, Breuklander was an Ogle Mole whistleblower in the early days of the Foggy Bottom Swindle. He seemed like a good dude, and according to prosecutors, didn’t make money in the swindle. If his testimony is as interesting as some of the things he told me back then, expect a fun day in court when he takes the stand!

On the other side of things, Swadley has been quieter than an old church lady eating at one of his restaurants. For comment, all we have to go off of is the weird public letter where he played the “But I’m a Christian!” card.

Anyway, we’ll continue to cover this story and provide updates as they become available.

Right now, it looks like the only prayer Brent has is that a jury of really dumb peers acquits him. Otherwise, it looks like he'll be going to prison... or at least ankle monitor parties with Sarah Polston.

Well, that’s if “The Guy” doesn’t “P Word” him first:

Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.