$200K in Fake Sneakers Seized From Store, Owner Says He Didn’t Know They Were Counterfeit
Over 1,200 allegedly counterfeit items valued at roughly $200,000 were seized from a Massachusetts sneaker store in December and now, the store’s owner is offering refunds to customers after telling police he didn’t know the products were fake.
The store in question is Family Sneaker House, a Milford, Mass. business which local police say was selling counterfeit sneakers, clothing and accessories. Police say they began investigating Family Sneaker House last year after receiving tips from customers who believed their purchases may be inauthentic.
More from Footwear News
Mercedes and Adidas' First Formula 1 Collection Is Out Now With Seven Shoes
Fossil Group Poaches Adidas and Salomon Executives for C-Suite Roles
“They purchased some shoes and they thought the items were counterfeit. They were correct,” lieutenant Kevin O’Loughlin told the Milford Daily News.
Milford police then contacted the footwear companies whose product was represented and worked with a local consulting firm to identify which items were fake. The investigation then revealed 895 Air Jordan sneakers, 89 Yeezy sneakers, 48 Adidas sneakers, nine Puma shoes and Nike and Adidas backpacks — all of which were determined to be counterfeit. Police said if the items were real, the total value of the seized product would exceed $200,000.
In a surprising turn of events, the store owner was not charged and thus has not been identified. Police say that’s because he’s cooperated with the investigation and is working with law enforcement to reimburse customers who purchased inauthentic items.
“He was trying to do the right thing and purchased the wrong things,” O’Loughlin said. “It sounds like he fell in with the wrong people and ordered things that he didn’t know weren’t real.”
The lieutenant confirmed the store is once again open for business and is now selling authentic goods.
“While this was not a traditional crime indicative of our community, it’s important to realize these types of operations are not just taking billions away from these big corporations but more importantly, money out of the wallets of hard-working people,” Milford police wrote in a statement.
In related sneaker crime news, a Chicago man was charged with felony theft in January after police recovered around $1 million of stolen Nike and New Balance sneakers from a warehouse he was subleasing.
Police are urging affected customers to bring receipts of purchase to the Milford Police Department in order to receive refunds.
Best of Footwear News
Sign up for FN's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
