Sneakerheads were shocked last week when news broke that CoolKicks founder Adeel Shams (who was mid-livestream) was arrested during a police raid that uncovered roughly $500,000 in stolen Nike merchandise.
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed on Monday that a multi-agency task force executed a search warrant at the CoolKicks warehouse on the 1700 block of Stewart Street in Santa Monica. The operation, which included the LAPD’s Cargo Theft Unit, the Union Pacific Railroad Police, and the Los Angeles Port and Airport Police, recovered over 2,100 pairs of Nike sneakers and 150 cartons of Nike apparel. According to the LAPD, the items were part of a stolen train shipment.
Shams, who was livestreaming a sneaker auction on Whatnot when the raid began, initially thought the police presence was a prank. “Is this a swatting?” he asked on the stream, visibly confused as officers entered the warehouse. Unfortunately for him, it wasn’t. By 4PM he was in handcuffs, and later booked into the LAPD’s Metropolitan Detention Center on suspicion of receiving stolen property valued over $950.
Founded in 2014 in Virginia, CoolKicks started as a small sneaker resale shop before moving to Los Angeles in 2016. Its social media savvy helped the brand grow really fast. Its celebrity drop-ins, YouTube videos, and viral sneaker deals made it one of the biggest names in sneaker reselling.
Following the raid, CoolKicks released a statement on Instagram that struck a mix of shock and reassurance. “Yesterday, 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,” the company said. “This news came as a complete shock to our entire team.”
CoolKicks said that neither leadership nor staff had “any knowledge or reason to believe” the products were stolen. “We entered into this purchase in good faith, as we always have, committed to running an honest business built on integrity and trust,” the statement continued. The company also clarified that “there have been no allegations whatsoever from law enforcement that any of the products were counterfeit.”
While the LAPD estimates the total value of recovered items at half a million dollars, they’ve confirmed that the investigation is still ongoing and that “further arrests are expected.”
Shams was released from jail on October 3, with a court date set for October 23. CoolKicks says it remains confident “the truth will come out”.
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