Counterfeit shoes might be biggest Midwest bust

OAK FOREST | Fake Nikes could have sold for $750,000, cops say

When Oak Forest tactical officers checked storage units last week, they were in for a surprise.

It wasn't what they were looking for, but they found about 15,000 pairs of fake Nike shoes boxed and ready for sale.

Estimated street value: $750,000.

Oak Forest Police Chief Dennis Olszewski says the cost to Nike is much more.

"If these were really Nikes, they would sell for about $90 a pair. These shoes would be sold for about $50 or $60 a pair. That means Nike has lost out on about $1.3 million," Olszewski said.

Police found the shoes at the Public Storage facility on Harlem Avenue last week. They said it's possibly the largest seizure of counterfeit shoes in the Midwest.

No charges have been filed, and no one is in custody, but police think the shoes were made in China and sent here through New York or Los Angeles.

Police are working with federal customs agents on the investigation.

In working with Nike and federal agents, Olszewski said police learned that the sale of counterfeit merchandise is a significant method for funding terrorist activities.

In April 2007, Chicago Police confiscated about 14,000 pairs of counterfeit shoes before they hit the streets.

The shoes probably would have been sold at discount stores and flea markets, authorities said.

"We pride ourselves on providing a quality product," said Cindy Hamilton, a Nike spokeswoman in Chicago. "We appreciate the work that law enforcement does. It's not good for consumers and not good for the community or economy."