Photo Credit: Anat Givon/AP Photo

5 People Arrested For Trafficking Over $70 Million Worth Of Fake Jordans

Over the past 20 years, Jordan sneakers have definitely become a status symbol. Even though they’re pricy, a lot of young people have at least one pair of Jordans in their closet, if they can afford it.

For those who can’t, there still is the black market. Even though it’s illegal, counterfeit shoes are available at a fraction of the cost. While they harm the legitimate companies and use cheap, sometimes even toxic materials, these ‘fake-companies’ make a ton of profit, if they won’t get caught.

A group of 5 wasn’t that lucky and got arrested by authorities. They were charged after trafficking over $70 million worth of fake Air Jordans. ABC News reported that the counterfeit shoes arrived at Port of Newark, originating from China. While looking almost identical to real Air Jordans, the fake sneakers didn’t have the logos on it.

The five men now face jailtime with a maximum sentence of 20 years.

“These five individuals are alleged to have been a part of a large scale counterfeiting scheme, importing nearly a half million pairs of knock-off Nike sneakers. These counterfeiting networks can be both detrimental to our economy and threaten our national security, and HSI will continue to take every measure in investigating and dismantling these organizations,” ICE HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Angel M. Melendez said.

There reportedly were over 300,000 pairs of the sneakers found in Port Newark, but details of the investigation are still unfolding.