Man arrested after $5 million of stolen Nike merchandise found in Hawthorne

HAWTHORNE, Calif. (KABC) -- A man was arrested on suspicion of dealing $5 million worth of stolen Nike merchandise that was discovered in a Hawthorne warehouse during a retail theft bust, authorities said.

Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department's Commercial Crimes Division Cargo Theft and the Organized Retail Crimes Task Force executed two search warrants in Hollywood and Hawthorne on Saturday.

The Hawthorne location was where Roy Lee Harvey Jr., 37, was seen delivering stolen Nike products, police said. It's unclear if anything was found at the Hollywood location.

Once inside, they found thousands of pairs of Nike shoes, clothing, accessories and unique prototypes all worth millions of dollars.

Harvey Jr. was booked on suspicion of receiving stolen property and he's accused of redistributing and reselling the stolen merchandise.

The LAPD says they were tipped off when the suspect was seen making a delivery to the warehouse.

A Nike representative went with detectives during the search, police said.

A survey from the National Retail Federation found theft contributed to $112 billion in losses for businesses nationwide in 2022. The next year, California invested $267 million in law enforcement departments around the state, specifically to combat organized retail theft.

Anyone with information about the alleged crime is asked to call the department's Commercial Crimes Division at 213-486-5920.