57-year-old Lowell Hawthorne, allegedly shot himself to death inside the Bronx factory, at the Park Ave. disclose near E. 173rd St. in Claremont about 5:30 p.m. He also left a note which is yet to be disclosed.
Police reports say, Hawthorne who emigrated to the United States from Jamaica and opened his first Golden Krust operation in 1989, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The authorities also revealed that he was deep in tax debt and was being sued by a former staffer for thousands in lost wages, court records show.
Lowell Hawthorne was “worried” about the liens, which included more than $150,000 in city taxes on the company’s buildings, a police source said.
In addition to Hawthorne’s state tax issues, it was revealed that a former maintenance staffer was suing him in Manhattan Federal Court. One-time employee Robert Wray said he was never paid for the overtime he worked during his 11-year tenure.
Wray’s May 8 lawsuit contends more than 100 other Golden Krust staffers were similarly stiffed on OT.
The Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery and Grill is known for its beef patties, which later grew into a franchise that now includes more than 100 stores in nine states.
