CoolKicks founder Adeel Shams was reportedly arrested for a brief period after the Los Angeles Police Department raided the warehouse. The arrest became a subject of online interest as it was caught live. A video from CoolKicks’ live stream on Whatnot abruptly cut off during a raid.According to the Los Angeles County Inmate Information Center, Shams, 33, was booked on Thursday, Oct. 2, by the LAPD’s BUNCO/Forgery Division on felony charges related to alleged fraud. The arrest took place around 4:45 p.m. local time, with booking logged at 6:32 p.m. the same evening. Jail records indicate no bail was set, and he was released early on Friday, Oct. 3 on own recognizance (OR) pending trial.The LAPD has not yet issued an official statement regarding the details of the case, though the involvement of the BUNCO/Forgery Division suggests the investigation centers on allegations of fraudulent activity tied to CoolKicks’ operations. Reports also suggest that LAPD raided a CoolKicks warehouse, though more information on seized items or evidence has yet to surface.Some unverified videos surfaced claiming that cops had Adeel Shams and his employees at gunpoint before taking them into custody. CoolKicks is a popular sneaker resale brand founded by entrepreneur Adeel Shams. He graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), attending both the School of Business and the VCU Brandcenter. His early interest in sneakers led him to buy used pairs (e.g. Jordans), clean them up, and resell them — that eventually grew into a full business.CoolKicks was founded by Adeel Shams and friends in 2014 in Richmond, Virginia, where Shams was attending Virginia Commonwealth University. The business grew and CoolKicks moved out to Los Angeles, opening their famous storefront on Melrose in 2016.
