Why CoolKicks founder Adeel Shams was arrested after LAPD raid. First details out
Adeel Shams, the founder of popular sneakers brand Cook Kicks, was arrested on a live stream when LAPD raided its store
UPDATE: CoolKicks has issued a statement after its founder Adeel Shams was arrested on a live stream when the Los Angeles Police Department apparently raided its store.
In a statement to HT.com, CoolKicks said, “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. This news came as a complete shock to our entire team.”
“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, however, clarified that there have been no allegations that any of the products were counterfeit.
“Coolkicks takes pride in serving our loyal community with authentic, high-quality products and service; it is at the heart of our culture. We want to reassure our community that the integrity of our products remains our highest priority,” the company added. “We are confident the truth will come out, and the trust we have worked so hard to earn will remain strong.”
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ORIGINAL STORY: Adeel Shams, the founder of popular sneakers brand Cook Kicks, was arrested on a live stream when the Los Angeles Police Department apparently raided its store. The WhatNot online auction stream was on when officials entered the store and detained Shams.
Complex cited official booking records to reveal that Shams was arrested by the LAPD's Bunco/Forgery agency. The division primarily handles cases linked to fraud, counterfeit goods, and similar offenses. It is unclear exactly why the Cool Kicks founder was detained.
The video was first shared on Reddit. Social media users speculated that Shams was a victim of a ‘swatting’ prank. While there are no official statements on the matter, the Complex report added that it is being alleged that Shams' arrest ‘was linked to the possibility of the store selling counterfeit products’.
The report further cited booking records to add that Adeel was released at midnight, and a court date for this case has been set for October 23 at the LA Superior Court.
“Cool Kicks was raided yesterday by the LAPD’s BUNCO/FORGERY Division, which handles fraud and counterfeit goods cases, leading to the arrest of founder Adeel Shams on felony charges related to alleged fraud,” one person wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
Cool Kicks' first store opened in 2014 in Virginia. Adeel Shams then opened its most popular location in Melrose in Los Angeles, in 2016.
“Coolkicks is the leading influential, exclusive, and aspirational lifestyle brand for sneaker culture and streetwear. Coolkicks represents authenticity and cultural lifestyle, attracting an enthusiastic community of sneakerheads, including A-list celebrities. A distinctive brand, Coolkicks has over 4.5 million followers across social platforms worldwide and over 4 billion YouTube impressions alone. Successfully built a multi-million dollar brick-and-mortar sneaker retail chain to provide affordable sneakers,” according to the founder's LinkedIn profile.
