Fake Labels, Real Danger
What made the fraud especially dangerous was the false certification. The armor was marked with the seal of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) — the DOJ’s research and standards arm for police gear — despite none of the Chinese products qualifying under U.S. testing or manufacturing requirements.
“Federal inspectors confirmed that NIJ and ‘Made in USA’ labels were applied after the products arrived from China,” the DOJ stated.
NIJ-approved body armor must be manufactured domestically. This deception not only defrauded buyers but put law enforcement officers at potential risk, prosecutors emphasized.
Legal Teams and Fallout
The government was represented by Duncan T. Brown of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio. Iliev is represented by John Mitchell and Mire Aftim of Taft Stettinius & Hollister. Requests for comment from Iliev’s legal team were not immediately returned.
The case underscores a broader concern about counterfeit safety gear and the growing risk of fraudulent claims in national supply chains, especially in high-stakes industries like law enforcement and defense.
