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Airport workers charged for allegedly stealing shipment of unreleased Nike KD8s

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The hype for the new Nike KD8 shoe has grown too real.

Two employees at JFK Airport in New York have been charged with fourth-degree grand larceny and fourth-degree possession of stolen property, having allegedly stolen a shipment of Kevin Durant's new signature shoe.

The KD8, which Durant released a sneak peek of earlier this month, isn't due out until late June or early July, but an advanced shipment was en route from a Taiwan Nike factory to Ontario, Canada. As the shipment passed through New York on May 9, 23-year-old Calvin Colain Nelson and 47-year-old Audley Russell allegedly stole a case of 12 pairs, which are expected to retail around $200 per.

The kicker here is that Nelson and Russell were found out through social media, as multiple Instagram accounts posted photos of the shoes, complete with boxes and serial numbers.

I know Yall seen these pics all over IG this past week, just know we do this sneaker SHIT! ??????? KD7 we on KD8 ALWAYS HUMBLE THO!
Just wanted to give a little UPDATE on the KD's It wasn't for just LIKES ON IG. Our goal is to give everyone a chance to OBTAIN HEAT. These are going to be 5 very happy customers. ANY KD 8's AFTER U.S. WAS FROM US! #SNKR_BASE #JORDAN #KD8 #NIKE #TAGYOURFRIENDS #THANKYOU #WEGOTWJATYOUNEED

Nelson told authorities on Wednesday that he purchased the shoes from a dealer, buying nine pairs for $2,475, eight pairs for resale and one for himself. He even showed police text messages between himself and Russell, according to a release from the Queens district attorney's office.

Both suspects were released and are scheduled to appear in court on June 18, facing up to four years in prison.

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