Contractor in Charlie Brown's Fraud Sentenced

NEWARK—An executive with an Eatontown-based construction firm was sentenced to more than two years in federal prison here this week for his role in two fraud conspiracies, one of which involved Charlie Brown's Steakhouse.

David S. Slabon, the 44-year-old president of Designline Construction Services, will serve 25 months in prison, as well as three years of supervised release and pay more than $2.1 million in restitution under the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Dickinson R. Debevoise on Tuesday, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Paul J. Fishman announced.

Slabon, a Sea Girt resident, previously pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with one count each of conspiracy to commit commercial bribery and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

He admitted to supplying more than $70,000 in bribes in the form of monetary payments, items and trips to former Charlie Brown's Acquisition Corp. president and CEO Russell D'Anton between 2004 and 2009.

The kickbacks were given in exchange for D'Anton awarding Designline with Charlie Brown's contracts. In addition to money, the bribes included tickets to Broadway shows, chartered flights on private jets, vacations to destinations including the Bahamas, and work on D'Anton's home.

D'Anton also pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy. He was sentenced in February to 24 months in prison.

The Blackwood Charlie Brown's Steakhouse was among several to close in November after its parent company filed for bankruptcy.

The sentence imposed on Slabon also covers his guilty plea to a 2008-09 fraud conspiracy involving P.C. Richards & Son, Fishman said. Designline fraudulently overbilled the electronics retail chain approximately $2.5 million for construction work and services on its Carteret warehouse.