Los Angeles Coolkicks owner Adeel Shams arrested after raid

A Los Angeles streetwear store offering limited-edition merchandise is under investigation and its owner was arrested during a recent raid involving stolen goods, police said. Adeel Shams, 34, was arrested on the 1700 block of Stewart Street in Santa Monica on a felony charge of receiving known stolen property over $950, Los Angeles Police Department Officer Drake Madison told USA TODAY on Monday, Oct. 6. Shams, owner and co-founder of Coolkicks on Melrose Avenue, was arrested at the business' warehouse on Oct. 2, according to booking information released by police. The arrest took place at 4:45 p.m. local time, police reported. In a statement released over the weekend on its social media pages, Coolkicks claimed the company did not know the items were stolen. At the time of the raid, video circulating online shows Shams was interrupted while he live-streamed on WhatNot, an online auction platform. The footage, shared on Reddit, shows Shams holding a pink watch and yellow box in his hand, before stopping to say to someone near him, "What the (expletive) was that? Did somebody swat us? I'll be back..." He then ends the broadcast. Local outlet KTLA 5-TV reported Shams was "hauled away with dozens of pairs of Nike shoes." The outlet, which shared video from the raid on its station's social media pages, also reported several other people were "taken into custody" at the scene. Police told USA TODAY no other arrests were immediately known in connection to the raid. In a statement on its official Instagram page, Coolkicks denied knowing the goods were stolen. "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 Oct. 4 post reads. "Neither Coolkicks leadership, nor our staff had any knowledge or reason to believe that these products were stolen," the post continues. "We entered into this purchase in good faith, as we always have, committed to running an honest business built on integrity and trust." Shams was released from jail on his own recognizances on Oct. 3, according to police. He's slated to appear in Los Angeles Superior Court court on Oct. 23. An attorney of record was not listed in Sham's booking information. USA TODAY has reached out to Coolkicks for additional information. Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.