LAPD Recovers $500,000 Worth Of Allegedly Stolen Nike Gear, Coolkicks CEO Arrested

Authorities in California say they have recovered an estimated $500,000 worth of stolen cargo including Nike shoes and apparel, and arrested the CEO of online reseller Coolkicks.

The Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement Monday that its Commercial Crimes Division and Cargo Theft Unit detectives executed a search warrant Thursday at a warehouse on the 1700 block of Stewart Street in Santa Monica, with assistance from Union Pacific Railroad Police, Los Angeles Port Police and the District Attorney’s Office.

The search allegedly turned up an estimated $500,000 worth of stolen train cargo, including more than 21,000 pairs of Nike shoes and 150 cartons of Nike apparel, some of which was unreleased.

Per reports, the raid coincided with a sneaker auction livestreamed by Coolkicks co-founder and CEO Adeel Shams, 34. The company is well known for reselling limited-edition sneakers to celebrities and athletes including Chris Brown and Travis Kelce. In the video, Shams initially appeared confused, believing he had been “swatted,” or pranked with a hoax call to police.

Police said Shams was arrested and booked into the LAPD Metropolitan Detention Center on a charge of receiving stolen property. Police said the investigation is ongoing and “further arrests are expected.”

“This case highlights the significance of interagency collaboration in combating large-scale cargo theft and preserving the integrity of commercial supply chains,” police said in a statement.

In a statement, Coolkicks said authorities “impounded a small allotment of Nike sneakers” the company had purchased within the 48 hours prior to the raid, and that the news came as a “complete shock.”

“Neither Coolkicks leadership, nor our staff, had any knowledge or reason to believe that these 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 company said.

“It’s important to clarify: there have been no allegations whatsoever from law enforcement that any of the products were counterfeit,” the company said. “We are confident the truth will come out, and the trust we have worked so hard to earn will remain strong.”