Charging papers say Linda Kim Brown made excuses and broke promises to three customers for well over a year about the lack of work on their expensive home remodeling projects.

Brown, 36, has pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree theft and one count of filing a false tax return. Her trial is scheduled for Aug. 22, 2025, in Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett.

Brown also goes by the name Linda K. Gardenhire, according to court papers listing addresses for her in Bellevue and Mill Creek. She was a registered contractor and owner of Aura Construction LLC, KAIX Remodel LLC, and Probuilt LLC when the incidents allegedly occurred from July 2021 to mid-October 2023.

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, which enforces contractor registration laws, suspended Brown's registration for KAIX Remodel LLC in May 2022, and for her other two businesses in April 2024, when their insurance policies expired or were cancelled.

The three victims filed complaints with L&I about Brown in 2023. L&I investigated and referred the case for potential criminal charges to the state Office of the Attorney General (AGO), which is now prosecuting Brown. The homeowners lived in Edmonds, Bellevue, and Lynnwood.

“Dishonest contractors are stealing more than cash — they’re stealing the long-held dreams of homeowners,” said Steve Reinmuth, assistant director of L&I’s Field Services and Public Safety. “We’re here to help victims find justice against shady contractors.”

Check out your contractor at ProtectMyHome.net

To help avoid losing money to crooked contractors, L&I encourages consumers to get three written bids, verify contractors are currently registered, and pay suppliers directly for building materials. Get more tips at ProtectMyHome.net.

Victims individually lost $98,000 to $310,000

According to charging papers, Brown arranged for engineering, drawings and permits on her customers’ projects, but failed to start construction on any of them. Subtracting the cost of the preparatory services, the homeowners individually lost over $98,000, $165,000, and $310,000 in down payments to the contractor.

L&I’s contractor registration program interviewed the victims, collected contracts and other documents, and visited one of the contractor’s job sites.

Contractor told Lynnwood victim to be patient

In March 2022, the Lynnwood homeowner signed a $662,400 contract with Brown to move her kitchen and build a second-story addition with a bedroom, bathroom, sunroom, and a deck. She paid Brown a deposit of $325,824 — nearly 50 percent down, according to an L&I report cited in charging documents.

The project was supposed to be completed by that September. Soon after signing the contract, however, Brown repeatedly delayed the start of construction, telling the homeowner she needed to be patient, charging papers said.

By February 2023, about five months after the project should have been completed, the homeowner texted Brown that she wanted to cancel the contract and get her money back. Brown responded that she’d call back in three or four weeks when supplies arrived.

The customer didn’t hear from Brown again — the same fate shared by the other victims, charging papers said.

Accused of failing to report $1.5 million in business income

Brown also faces one count each of filing a false tax return and first-degree theft of state tax revenues.

According to charging papers, Brown claimed on business tax returns that her companies had no income from July 2021 through mid-October 2023. However, an AGO investigator found bank, customer and other records showing she actually deposited over $1.5 million into her business accounts during that period.

In addition, Brown collected $72,400 in retail sales tax from customers but didn’t pass the money on to the state Department of Revenue, charging papers said.