A longtime Nike music executive is facing felony charges over accusations that he stole more than $1 million from the sneaker giant by paying phony fees to a music licensing consulting firm run by a co-conspirator.
As first reported by Fox 12 Oregon, prosecutors allege that John Griffith, a former music supervisor at Nike, used company money to pay inflated fees to a firm operated by friend Brad Mosher. Half the funds would then allegedly be funneled back to Griffith via a shell company.
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“Bradley Mosher and John Griffith conspired to operate a criminal enterprise to steal over $1,000,000 from Nike through an orchestrated kickback scheme,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing this week.
Court records reviewed by Billboard show both Griffith and Mosher were indicted last month on 24 felony counts each, including racketeering, aggravated theft by deception and money laundering. Both were arrested in early June and later released on bond. A trial date has not yet been set.
Reps for Nike and attorneys for both defendants did not return requests for comment on Friday (July 24).
Music supervisors oversee the use of songs in films, TV shows and advertisements, including not just selecting music but also the complicated job of clearing it for use. The role would be particularly powerful at a company like Nike, a global consumer brand with a multi-billion dollar advertising budget that routinely uses iconic tracks in campaigns.
According to Fox 12, prosecutors say Griffith abused that position to send Nike money to Mosher’s consulting firm Good Measure LLC, which offers “clearance and licensing services for music featured in advertising,” according to his LinkedIn page. After those payments were made, a portion would then allegedly be sent back to an entity owned by Griffith called Quiver and Bow LLC. The scheme allegedly ran from June 2020 to December 2022.
In a statement to the outlet, Griffith’s attorney Kristen Winemiller said: “Mr. Griffith’s work for Nike has been highly successful. He is proud of what he has accomplished for the brand, both as an employee and a vendor, over their long association. There are few who could have done that work as efficiently or effectively as he has.”
In his own statement, Mosher’s attorney Chris Heywood said his client was cooperating with prosecutors on the “complex and far-reaching” case: “From the outset, Brad Mosher offered his full cooperation to both Nike and law enforcement. To this point, that cooperation has occurred in private. We now look forward to defending him publicly.”