STOW, OHIO — A 70-year-old Ohio businessman has been sentenced to over five years in federal prison for running a dangerous scheme that involved selling Chinese-made body armor falsely marketed as U.S.-made and certified for police use.
Vall Iliev, the owner of ShotStop Ballistics LLC, pleaded guilty in March to charges of conspiracy to smuggle goods, trafficking in counterfeit labels, and fraud. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent handed down a sentence of five years and three months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Iliev was also ordered to pay $5.2 million in restitution.
The case came to light in May 2023, when U.S. Customs and Border Protection stopped a Canada-registered truck at the Blaine, Washington, border crossing. Inside, they found over 200 body armor plates from China, concealed in a shipping container linked to Iliev’s business and home.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Iliev processed the armor at his Ohio warehouse and sold it through his company’s website. He falsely claimed the products were made in the U.S. and certified by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) — the federal agency responsible for evaluating and certifying police protective gear.
Inspectors discovered that the NIJ and “Made in USA” labels were applied after the armor arrived from China, violating U.S. manufacturing and testing standards. None of the imported products had undergone legitimate NIJ testing.
Officials say the scheme not only defrauded law enforcement agencies across the country but also put officers’ lives at risk by supplying uncertified armor that may not have provided adequate protection.
“Federal inspectors confirmed that NIJ and ‘Made in USA’ labels were applied after the products arrived from China,” the DOJ noted in a statement.
Iliev’s defense team, John Mitchell and Mire Aftim of Taft Stettinius & Hollister, did not immediately comment on the sentencing. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Duncan T. Brown.
Authorities say this case highlights growing concerns about counterfeit safety gear and fraudulent supply chains, particularly in industries with critical national security implications.
