TSR Investigates
Rodney Bonds, the CEO of BK Lobster, a popular seafood franchise in Brooklyn, New York, has come under fire. Bonds is being accused of scamming investors out of upwards of $300,000.
Additionally, he’s accused of targeting Black female entrepreneurs amid his alleged scheme. In turn, Bonds is alleging that he hasn’t scammed anyone. Instead, he was simply “unaware of certain franchise laws in the state of New York.”
Now, The Shade Room’s Justin Carter is investigating the ordeal on ‘TSR Investigates.’
According to Carter, the BK Lobster franchise reportedly got its start “in the thick of the pandemic” with help from investors nationwide. However, in recent months, multiple individuals have alleged Bonds “tricked them” into “fraudulent deals and contracts.”
Upon investigation, The Shade Room confirmed that multiple franchise locations have been “shuttered.”
“I did an initial investment of $46,000,” Dara Bradley told Carter, explaining that she invested her money into a location in Queens in May 2021. “He claimed that he brought flat screens [and] he bought some chairs — that’s all he did.”
For eight months, Bonds alleged that he was paying $9,000 in rent for the location. According to Bradley, this later proved untrue, and Bonds allegedly pocketed around $200,000.
Then, in 2022, the New York Attorney General’s office revealed that BK Lobster was “never registered to sell franchises within or from the state of New York.”
In response, Bonds allegedly told Bradley he couldn’t return her money due to “tax complications.”
“I’m like, ‘What kind of tax complications are you talking about? You never gave me anything…” Bradley told Carter. “That’s when I went off on him.”
Bradley reportedly filed a lawsuit against Bonds, accusing him of “intentionally” stealing her money.
Scroll above to watch additional investors share their experiences with Carter. He reviews contracts signed by Bonds and multiple individuals. Additionally, Carter shares Bond’s reported response to the allegations.
