$7 Million in Counterfeit Shoes Seized

Not even the notorious shoe closet of former Philippines First Lady Imelda Marcos could hold the cache that police uncovered in a Los Angeles warehouse Friday.

At least $7 million worth of shoes--250,000 pairs of sneakers and sandals, by one detective’s count--were confiscated in a local and federal sting operation that began at the Sheraton Hotel near Los Angeles International Airport the day before, said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Det. Guy Hiles.

To the untrained eye, they were Adidas shoes, Hiles said. But the German sport giant’s investigators, who alerted U.S. Custom officials and the Sheriff’s Department to the shipment, discovered them to be carefully crafted counterfeits, Hiles said.

The fakes apparently were on their way to a number of major retailers in the area, including Costco, Hiles said.

Sebastian Molina, 67, of Torrance and Joseph Carr, 51, an Irish citizen living in Georgia, were booked Thursday night at the Lennox station on one count each of distribution of counterfeit trademark, Hiles said. Both are accused of trying to sell the shoes to undercover agents, he said.