business
Longtime Nike music executive accused of running $1M theft scheme from within company
Summary by The Nashville Editorial Desk · Based on reporting by Ward Jolles, Jordan Gartner , WSMV 4 News (NBC affiliate)
· July 24, 2026
· 4 min read
BEAVERTON, Ore. ( KPTV /Gray News) - For nearly two decades, John Griffith was at the center of one of the most powerful marketing operations in the world. Griffith worked as Nike’s head of Global Brand Marketing, Music Supervision, Strategy and Licensing, controlling which music vendors got hire...
Story provenance No corrections
Summary created by The Nashville Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed Original reporting Ward Jolles, Jordan Gartner, WSMV 4 News (NBC affiliate) Original story Read at the source Source published Jul 24, 2026 Indexed here Jul 24, 2026 AI assistance Automated summary drawn from the source’s own published text Prepublication human review No — editorial rules, flagged-item review, and published samples
Every story comes with a passport. How we work · Corrections log
Key takeaway According to a Washington County grand jury, Griffith and his friend Brad Mosher have been indicted on 24 felony counts each, including racketeering, aggravated theft by deception and money laundering.
Why this matters in The Nashville
Nashville's music industry, a significant sector of the local economy, may be watching the Nike theft scheme case with interest, given the involvement of music licensing and supervision. The alleged kickback scheme, which drained over $1 million from Nike, raises questions about the integrity of business dealings in the music industry. As a city with a thriving music scene, Nashville may be wondering if similar schemes could be operating locally, potentially affecting its own music-related businesses and vendors. The case against John Griffith and Brad Mosher may prompt local companies to review their own contracting and billing practices, ensuring transparency and accountability in their dealings. Additionally, the fact that Griffith's position at Nike involved controlling millions of dollars in music contracts may lead Nashville's music industry professionals to scrutinize the relationships between music vendors, licensing consultancies, and major brands, potentially leading to increased scrutiny and calls for greater transparency in local music industry practices.
About this story
Original reporting by WSMV 4 News (NBC affiliate) . The Nashville surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
For the complete original report, visit WSMV 4 News (NBC affiliate) . Have a tip or correction? Contact our newsroom .
Category: business ·
Published: July 24, 2026 ·
Source: WSMV 4 News (NBC affiliate) ·
Reading time: 4 min
Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? BEAVERTON, Ore. ( KPTV /Gray News) - For nearly two decades, John Griffith was at the center of one of the most powerful marketing operations in the world. Griffith worked as Nike’s head of Global Brand Marketing, Music Supervision, Strategy and Licensing, controlling which music vendors got hire...
When was this published? This article was first published on July 24, 2026 by WSMV 4 News (NBC affiliate) and curated for The Nashville readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Ward Jolles, Jordan Gartner at WSMV 4 News (NBC affiliate). To learn more about how The Nashville selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more business coverage from The Nashville, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
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