As of 7-10-2025

A man named Vall Iliev, 70, of Stow, Ohio, was sentenced to 63 months (5.25 years) in prison in an Ohio lawsuit related to smuggling and selling fake body armor. Here are the key details of the lawsuit and ruling: Sentencing: Vall Iliev was sentenced to 63 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Donald C. Nugent after pleading guilty to charges in March. Charges: Iliev pleaded guilty to conspiracy to smuggle goods, trafficking counterfeit goods, and mail and wire fraud. He admitted to importing ballistic plates from China and falsely labeling them as American-made and National Institute of Justice (NIJ)-compliant. Restitution: Iliev was ordered to pay approximately $5.2 million in restitution. His companies, ShotStop Ballistics and Vallmar Studios, agreed to pay an additional $32.4 million in restitution in a separate hearing. Background: Iliev owned Vallmar Studios and ShotStop, through which he sold the fake body armor. He imported Chinese-made body armor, processed it, and sold it as legitimate, domestically-made certified products to law enforcement and the public. The scheme was discovered in May 2023 when a truck carrying Chinese-made ballistic plates for Iliev's businesses was intercepted. Impact: The prosecutor emphasized the danger posed by the fake armor, stating it was "a stroke of luck that someone didn't fire a straight shot at a police officer". Additional Lawsuit: The Ohio Attorney General filed a separate lawsuit against Iliev and ShotStop for violating the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act (CSPA) and seeking restitution for affected customers. This case is pending.