A Bronx man has been indicted for allegedly stealing a million-dollar check from the Bazooka bubble gum company, the Manhattan district attorney’s office announced this week.
Kashawn Williams, 31, is facing charges of conspiracy, money laundering, grand larceny and identity theft for intercepting a $1.2 million check that had been mailed to a Manhattan address formerly associated with the classic Bazooka brand.
According to DA Alvin Bragg, Williams created a fake business account in October 2022 – The Bazooka Companies 1 Inc. – to deposit the check and launder the money. Over the next few weeks, Williams issued checks from that company to four other people, also named in the indictment, for things like “renovations,” “business loans” and “packaging preorders.”
The group also laundered more than $57,000 through cashier’s checks to a sixth defendant, according to the indictment.
Williams then allegedly took more than $300,000 for himself, transferring the money from the Bazooka 1 account into his personal coffers.
“As alleged, this group stole more than $1 million by intercepting a check, creating a fraudulent corporate business account, and laundering the money for personal gain,” said Bragg. “Despite the decline in the use of paper checks, check fraud is on the rise. We urge New Yorkers and businesses alike to use secure electronic payment methods whenever possible to protect themselves from fraud.”
Bazooka Candy Brands, originally known as Topps Chewing Gum, was founded in Brooklyn in 1938.
The company did not immediately return a request for comment. Its website states it’s still headquartered in New York City, with an additional office outside London.
Williams’ attorney did not immediately return a request for comment.