A half-million dollars worth of stolen Nike products were recovered in a cargo theft investigation that led to the arrest of the owner of a Los Angeles shoe seller known for its limited edition merchandise.
On Thursday, Los Angeles police served a search warrant at a property in the 1700 block of Stewart Street in Santa Monica, where an estimated $500,000 worth of stolen train cargo was recovered. The stolen goods included Nike shoes, cartons of Nike clothing, unreleased items and other items.
Coolkicks CEO Adeel Shams, 34, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of receiving stolen property, the LAPD said. Shams was livestreaming an online auction at the time of the police operation, People reported.
Shams was released from custody a day after his arrest, according to Los Angeles County jail records. An initial court appearance was scheduled for Oct. 23.
CoolKicks shared a statement on Instagram in response to the law enforcement operation.
“The LAPD impounded a small allotment of Nike sneakers that Coolkicks purchased and received within the last 48 hours, alleging that the merchandise was stolen. This news came as a complete shock to our entire team,” the statement said. “Neither Coolkicks’ leadership, nor our staff had any knowledge or reason to believe that these products were stolen,” the statement continued. “We entered into this purchase in good faith, as we always have, committed to running an honest business built on integrity and trust.”
Anyone with information related to this investigation is urged to contact the LAPD Commercial Crimes Division, Cargo Theft Unit, at 213-486-5920.
