Six people were arrested and charged in connection with stealing more than a million dollars from the Bazooka bubble gum company, according to the Manhattan district attorney.
Kashawn Williams came in possession of a check for just over $1.24 million from a Texas-based company in Oct. 2022, after it was sent to a Manhattan address that formerly was associated with Bazooka, court documents state. Later that same month, the 31-year-old Williams created a phony company, The Bazooka Companies 1 Inc., as a way for him to cash the check.
Three days after that, on Oct. 24, Williams opened a corporate bank account for the fake company, where he deposited the stolen check, according to court documents.Over the next two weeks, the DA Williams wrote checks on behalf of his made-up company to five different people: 41-year-old Adrean Jacobs, 25-year-old Jose Gutierrez, 30-year-old Akheim Watts and 35-year-old Kiearra Reynolds.
The suspects were indicted Thursday, facing multiple charges including money laundering, possession of stolen property and conspiracy, the DA said. Williams was also charged with first-degree grand larceny and identity theft.