The sneaker resale game certainly isn't what it used to be, but that doesn't stop people from continuing to turn in sought-after merchandise, even if it means breaking the law.
Unfortunately, for one particular passenger and his right-hand man, the authorities went ahead and now the two men are facing serious consequences.
According WGN TV, the Maywood, Ill., Cook County Sheriff's Office uncovered a retail theft operation led by Flee Club owner Darris Kelly and his employee Jerry Walker that led authorities to recover stolen sneakers, designer clothing and even some $2.4 million worth of guns . Among the stolen merchandise were several pairs of the unreleased Air Jordan 4 “Paris Olympics” (which don't see much in the resale market since no one really checks them), Louis Vuitton x Air Force 1s, and a few other Air Jordan 11s that were sure to be I would brick.
However, a dollar is a dollar. Unfortunately for Kelly and Walker, the jig is up.
WGN TV References:
The Sheriff's Office says sheriff's police executed a search warrant at a store in the 2200 block of West Taylor Street on Chicago's Near West Side. According to authorities, store employees were buying stolen items and reselling them to customers.
Dart explained Thursday how authorities erected the bust.
“This was, as they say, an undercover operation where we were sending people to sell things that we told them were stolen,” he said. “Then we'd go back with another undercover officer and buy the stolen stuff we'd just sold them.
“So we were recovering things that everyone knew were stolen. We were getting tips from the people who ran (the theft operation) – the two people who were charged – about what they wanted us to steal, and they directed us that way as well.”
If Kelly and Walker maintain their innocence in the business, it can only mean that they will hit someone else sooner or later, and with the investigation still active, don't be surprised if they start naming names.
The news comes nearly a year after thieves crashed an SUV at Chicago's Flee Club and made off with $100,000 worth of exclusive merchandise. Maybe Darris Kelly wanted to recoup what he lost in this mess? I'm just saying, supposedly.
What do you think of this latest sneaker bust? Let us know in the comments section below.