Ex-Vans Exec Sentenced to 71 Months for Bribery

A former vice president of Vans Inc. was sentenced Monday to 71 months in prison for taking $4.7 million in bribes and kickbacks from Chinese factories that produced shoes and clothing for the company.

Scott Brabson, 50, and a company consultant, William Rosendahl, 48, were indicted last year on multiple counts, including conspiracy, wire fraud and foreign travel to promote commercial bribery.

Both men pleaded guilty to the federal charges and were given the same prison sentence by U.S. District Judge John Walter and ordered to pay a total of $4.7 million to Vans.

Brabson, a former resident of Goleta, Calif., was vice president of sourcing for Santa Fe Springs-based Vans from 1997 to 2000. Rosendahl was a product development consultant hired by the company in 1999 at Brabson’s request, authorities said.

The indictment alleged that the men met with owners and managers of Chinese factories and demanded kickbacks amounting to 3% of Vans orders if the facilities wanted to keep receiving orders.

An investigation began after Vans reported suspicions of wrongdoing to federal authorities.

Brabson also admitted that after Vans won an $8-million civil judgment against him in January 2003, he tried to prevent a criminal investigation into the allegations. Court documents show he fabricated e-mails to make it look as if other Vans employees wanted to make him a scapegoat.