Police recover $500K in stolen merchandise from CoolKicks L.A. raid, including 2,100 pairs of unreleased Nike sneakers
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LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 21: Metropolitan Police officers outside the Houses of Parliament on March 21, 2023 in London, England. A report published today of behavioural standards and internal culture of the Metropolitan Police Service, conducted by Baroness Louise Casey and commissioned in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving officer, suggested the force could be broken up if it fails to improve. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)After CoolKicks founder, Adeel Shams, was arrested by the LAPD during his WhatNot livestream last week, the police department has announced a shocking recovery made from their warehouse.
According to TMZ, in its raid conducted in CoolKicks' LA warehouse (on October 2), the LAPD has recovered stolen merchandise worth $500K. The merch includes more than 2,100 pairs of unreleased Nike sneakers and 150 cartons of Nike apparel. Law enforcement has also released photographs of large stacks of Nike boxes recovered from the warehouse.
Coolkicks was raided yesterday by the LAPD Commercial Crimes Unit while owner Adeel Shams was live selling on Whatnot. Shortly after, Shams was arrested on felony charges by the LAPD’s Bunco/Forgery Division, which investigates fraud and counterfeit goods😳 pic.twitter.com/rZgy2pt1Sa
— Soleloco (@soleloco) October 3, 2025The media outlet also reports Shams was auctioning off items from his store on the livestream when LAPD started their raid on the warehouse, which is situated at 1700 block of Stewart Street in Santa Monica.
Adeel Shams, who was arrested by LAPD's Bunco/Forgery agency over suspicion of receiving stolen property, was released from custody the next day. Moments before the arrest, Shams also made a remark about their warehouse being swatted before turning it off abruptly.
LAPD booking records reflect that Shams is due for a court appearance for a possible hearing that's scheduled for October 23, 2025.
CoolKicks maintains its innocence in a statement amid legal troubles
coolkicks has made an official statement . #fyp #coolkicks #trending #raided pic.twitter.com/2jGnfFCpPv
— clips (@dailyclipz222) October 4, 2025After Adeel Shams was released from custody last Friday, CoolKicks issued a statement on its Instagram handle, claiming that the stock which LAPD impounded from their warehouse was "purchased and received" by them within the last 48 hours.
It also read the possibility that it could be stolen merchandise came as a "complete shock" to the CoolKicks team. Adding that they had purchased the merch "in good faith" and ran an honest business, it further stated:
"It is important to clarify: there have been no allegations whatsoever from law enforcement that any of the products were counterfeit."
It concluded by expressing the store's regret over the inconvenience the developing legal situation might've caused their customers, and remaining confident that "the truth will come out".
Meanwhile, a news release issued by the LAPD on Monday (October 6), reads:
"This case underscores the importance of interagency collaboration in combating large-scale cargo theft and preserving the integrity of commercial supply chains."
Detectives involved in the investigation also claim that they expect to make more arrests as new details into the purchase continue to surface.
Adeel Shams founded CoolKicks as a resale store with his friends in Virginia, back in 2014. In a market where sneaker resale was a budding opportunity, the company grew leaps and bounds, opening its first store in LA two years later.
Besides its merchandise, the company has a content-heavy strategy for exposure, posting regular and relatable content on social media and YouTube.
TOPICS: CoolKicks