Mistrial declared for local contractor, Brandon Cook, accused of fraud
Noah Farley
BINGHAM COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — The criminal trial of Brandon Cook, a local contractor accused of defrauding homeowners out of hundreds of thousands of dollars through his company, Re-Lived Construction, has been declared a mistrial. Cook was charged with grand theft by failed promise and being a persistent violator.
Local News 8 viewers may remember Cook from a multi-week investigation we aired last year. The outcome of Cook’s trial, which began just yesterday, June 12, reportedly shocked homeowner and witness Jennifer Bennett, who was also featured in Local News 8’s exclusive investigation.
Local News 8’s reporting revealed claims by Bennett and homeowner Cody Hawker, both of whom hired Cook in 2023, and were left with significant damage. Bennett’s home had gutted walls and damaged support beams, while Hawker’s property featured a large, exposed hole in his backyard leading to his basement. Hawker previously described boarding up this hole and needing a pump to run 24/7 during winter to prevent his home from flooding.
Collectively, Hawker and Bennett paid Cook $43,000, only for him to allegedly destroy parts of their homes. They are, however, only two of at least 10 homeowners who allegedly hired Cook and lost money to the contractor.
Life a Center for Independent Living, a local non-profit, reportedly lost $200,000 to Cook.
Cook admitted to Local News 8 in an exclusive interview that he had become overwhelmed by trying to take “competitive” jobs. He’d also told us he was in a snowmobile wreck in 2020, three years before being hired by Hakwer or Bennett, which he says left him with injuries that limited his ability to work even years after the accident. Cook told us he had been unable to keep up with the work after his brother and employee left Re-Lived Construction to work for a different contractor, and admitted he’d started using deposits from previous jobs to finish other jobs.
While another criminal trial is a possibility, Jennifer Bennett tells Local News 8 that, as Cook has declared bankruptcy, there is little chance she or anyone else will get their money back. Last year, Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal told Local News 8 that malicious parties or contractors would sometimes close their business or declare bankruptcy as a way of “avoiding civil liability.” In those cases, Neal said victims were left with few options.
The simplest answer is “don’t get in this situation in the first place.” For what we learned on how to vet a contractor, click HERE.