Vendors accused of selling fake Nikes

Chicago police arrested three vendors at a Southwest Side market selling nearly 400 pairs of counterfeit Nike athletic shoes, Cook County prosecutors said today.

The vendors were nabbed after undercover shoppers working for the Nike company bought some of the shoes and alerted police, officials said. Juan Serrano, 60, Imad A. Alfasar, 49, and Hamza Albis, 21, were all charged with felony possession of counterfeit trademarked goods with intent to sell.

The covert buyers for Nike perused the Super Mall in the 5200 block of South Pulaski Road and bought fake Nikes from each vendor, prosecutors said. Albis and Serrano each sold a pair of bogus Air Jordan basketball shoes, according to prosecutors.

Alerted to the sales, officers found 137 pairs of counterfeit shoes at Albis’ booth, while Alfasar had 127 pairs and Serrano had 121 pairs, according to a police report.


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Albis, of the 6100 block of West 83rd Street in Burbank, allegedly admitted to selling “knock-off shoes,” police said. He was held Saturday in lieu of $10,000 bail.

Serrano, of the 3800 block of West 55th Street in Chicago, was held in lieu of $25,000 bail. Alfasar, of the 8500 block of South Laramie Avenue in Burbank, also was held in lieu of $25,000 bail.