Sneaker thieves busted for stealing $312K in Air Jordans from parked train

They quickly learned the agony of de-feet.

Three men are accused of stealing more than $311,000 worth of Air Jordan sneakers from a train parked in a California ghost town — a brazen heist that was derailed by a GPS tracker attached to the stolen merchandise. 

Bryan QuinteroEcharravia, 18, Bernardo Romeroquintero, 34, and Olegario Flores, 26, were busted on Nov. 22 for pilfering 1,278 Nike Air Jordan 11 Retro shoes worth $311,832 after breaking into the parked train in the Mojave Desert, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

The alleged sneaker thieves then moved the shipment into a rented U-Haul truck and transported the stolen goods to Anaheim.

The alleged perps are accused of stealing 1,279 Nike Air Jordan 11 Retro shoes worth $311,832. xMarshall – stock.adobe.com

Prosecutors said their plan lost steam when cops traced a GPS tracker Nike had placed in the shipment — to prevent theft — to their exact location.

“Organized theft rings are no match for the sophistication and determination of law enforcement to track down these thieves, arrest them, and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said.

“In Orange County, it’s not a matter of if, but a matter of when you will be caught, and you will be prosecuted.”

The shipment was stolen from a parked train in the Mojave Desert. buttbongo – stock.adobe.com

Police and railway operator BNSF were initially alerted that the shipping container carrying the high-priced shoes were missing from the train, prosecutors said.

Investigators with the California Highway Patrol tracked the GPS to an Anaheim parking lot and seized the swanky basketball shoes from inside the rental truck.

Nike had placed a GPS tracker in the shipment to prevent theft. xMarshall – stock.adobe.com

The three men were each charged with felony grand theft of cargo and receiving stolen property, prosecutors said.

Romeroquintero and Flores were also slapped with possession of burglary tools, a misdemeanor. 

They face maximum sentences of three years in state prison if they are convicted on all counts.

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