A 36-year-old Pinesville man was sentenced to 4 years in prison on Wednesday after it was revealed that he has purchased at least $250,000 worth of products, mostly sneakers, illegally.
According to The Charolette Observer, Charles Brown, co-conspirator Robert Johnson, and few teenagers bought roughly 565 pairs of high-end Jordans, Nikes, and Adidas—presumably to sell on the secondary market—all on a stolen credit card in 2018. The card, which had a $300,000 limit, belonged to the head of basketball operations at Cal State Northridge, who used it to cover air travel and other team expenses. U.S. District Judge Max Cogburn labeled the act a “conspiracy to commit access device fraud.”
Brown and company ran up the stolen card on Jordans from Footlocker, Nieman Marcus, Best Buy, and several other outlets according to prosecutors. They purchased, on average, more than 25 pairs of shoes every day for a 22-day period. Federal agents discovered the stash of product, which also included electronics, jewelry, and clothing, during a raid of Brown's home in Fall 2018.
Brown, who pleaded guilty last November, will also have to pay more than $237,140 in restitution. Johnson was convinced for his role in the scheme last month and is awaiting sentencing.