Vall Iliev charged with smuggling body armor from China, selling it to police as American-made
[Watch in the player above: Fake body armor was sold to Akron Police Department's SWAT team.]
CLEVELAND (WJW) — Federal authorities have charged a Stow man with smuggling body armor plates made in China, then selling them to law enforcement agencies as American-made goods.
Vall Iliev, 69, of Stow, is accused of importing body armor from the People's Republic of China, then giving it a fake trademarked label to pass it off as a domestic product.
Indiana woman accused of marrying her biological father
The scheme went on from 2017 to October 2023, according to a Wednesday news release from Carol Skutnik, acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
In May 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at the U.S.-Canada border in Washington intercepted a truck carrying more than 200 ballistic body armor plates, concealed in pre-packaged boxes inside a large shipping container — a technique used by smugglers to evade port authorities.
The manufacturer of the plates could not be discerned, but they were marked as originating in China. The hidden boxes were pre-labeled with the address of Iliev's Stow business, Vallmar Studios, according to the release.
Authorities found the site to be a warehouse Iliev was using to process the smuggled body armor before selling it through ShotStop Ballistics, which he also owns.
The shop marketed the body armor as being 'Made in Stow, Ohio,' and as having ballistics testing certifications — of which investigators could find no actual evidence. Testing performed later at a ballistics lab found the plates failed to meet the standard that was advertised, according to the release.
Prosecutors say Iliev spent years working with a Chinese broker to find cheaply made body armor, which was shipped to Vallmar Studios. There, employees were told to put made-in-America and testing certification stickers on the goods.
Some of the stickers designated the goods as being 'Level III+' or 'Level IV+HD' certified, 'which are non-existent designations,' reads the release.
Investigators at Iliev's Stow businesses found no means of making body armor, though they did find a laser printer used to make the marketing stickers, according to the release.
Though Iliev's companies had once held a valid ballistics certification through the National Institute of Justice, the ballistic resistance of the Chinese body armor plates was never tested under the institute's standards, which 'are crucial for buyers to make informed purchases about a product's safety levels,' reads the release.
I-Team: Cleveland schools CEO dodges questions on travel costs
Iliev is charged by information with counts of conspiracy to smuggle goods into the U.S., conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods and conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud.
No future court dates have been set.
Anyone who purchased ballistic body armor from ShotStop from 2018 onward is urged to stop using it. They're also encouraged to send a copy of their invoice on the product to faultyarmor@hsi.dhs.gov, with the subject heading 'ShotStop Invoice,' no later than April 7.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jared Leto accused of sexual misconduct and 'predatory, terrifying' behaviour by nine women
Oscar-winning American actor and Thirty Seconds From Mars frontman Jared Leto has been accused of sexual misconduct by nine women. In a report published by Air Mail, multiple women accused the 53-year-old star of Fight Club, Requiem For A Dream, Dallas Buyers Club and Suicide Squad of inappropriate behaviour. The allegations date back to the early 2000s, with one woman calling it 'an open secret' that he texted sexual remarks to teenage models. Allegations against Leto emerged last month, when DJ Allie Teilz shared an old Facebook post, written in 2012, on her Instagram Story. 'Youre [sic] not really in L.A. until Jared Leto tries to force himself on you backstage… In a kilt.. And a snow hat. I was assaulted and traumatized by this creep when I was 17,' she wrote. In separate story, she added: 'He knew my age and didn't care. What he did was predatory, terrifying and unacceptable.' One woman told the publication that in 2006, when she was 16-years-old, Leto approached her outside a Los Angeles café. She claimed Leto was sat with fellow actor Ashley Olsen – who was then 19 – and he had grabbed her arm. 'I looked down and it was Jared Leto,' she told Air Mail, adding: 'We had a quick conversation, and he got my number.' She went on to say that Leto called her home a few days later, recalling: 'I don't know if he was on drugs or what … It was the weirdest, grossest voice … [but] for me, it's Jared, you know?' 'And the conversations turned sexual,' she continued. 'He'd ask things like: 'Have you ever had a boyfriend? Have you ever sucked a dick?'' Model Laura La Rue came forward with similar claims, saying that when she was 16-years-old in 2008, she was at an event in a private residence in Beverly Hills where Leto was 'watching her so intensely'. 'He asked how old I was. I said, 'I'm 16. How old are you?'' La Rue told Air Mail. Leto, who was 36 at the time, then reportedly asked for her number. The two began an email correspondence, which resulted in her visiting Leto's home in April 2009, the outlet alleges. 'I remember him teasing me the whole time I was there,' La Rue said, adding: 'He was flirting with me. He'd lean in close, then pull away, like it was a game.' She described a separate visit when she was 17 years old, where she alleged Leto walked out of a room completely naked. 'He just walked out, dick out, like it was normal… I thought maybe this was just what adult men do,' she said. Another woman who spoke to the outlet said that she and Leto began texting while she was still underage. She alleged he would ask her inappropriate questions during her visits to his house, including 'Do any of the little boys you hang out with fuck you?' The woman alleged that once, when she was 18, Leto had 'suddenly pulled his penis out and started masturbating'. She told Air Mail: 'He walked over, grabbed my hand, and put it on him. He leaned in and said: 'I want you to spit on it.'' A representative of Leto has 'expressly denied' the multiple accusations reported in the Air Mail exposé, saying the claims were 'demonstrably false'. This is not the first time that Leto's behaviour has been questioned and called out. Similar claims were made in 2005, when The New York Post shared a story with the opening line: 'Jared Leto likes 'em young' after he had been spotted with Olsen and Lindsay Lohan. At the time, sources told the publication he had been 'aggressively pursuing many of the teen models shacked up at the Maritime Hotel'. In 2018, Metro reported on a Twitter post made by Dylan Sprouse, who is married to model Barbara Palvin. The post read: 'Yo @JaredLeto now that you've slid into the DMs of every female model aged 18–25, what would you say your success rate is?' Guardians Of The Galaxy and Superman director James Gunn replied to Sprouse's tweet at the time, saying: 'He starts at 18 on the internet?'
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
LA Clashes Escalate as Trump, Newsom Spar Over National Guard
(Bloomberg) -- Tensions flared in Los Angeles on the third day of anti-deportation protests, as demonstrators clashed with law enforcement while President Donald Trump and California Governor Gavin Newsom exchanged blame over the unrest and responsibility for restoring order. Next Stop: Rancho Cucamonga! Where Public Transit Systems Are Bouncing Back Around the World Trump Said He Fired the National Portrait Gallery Director. She's Still There. ICE Moves to DNA-Test Families Targeted for Deportation with New Contract US Housing Agency Vulnerable to Fraud After DOGE Cuts, Documents Warn The arrival of National Guard troops deployed by Trump over the weekend inflamed residents protesting the sweeping deportation policies of the administration, local officials said. Clashes escalated Sunday evening, with some committing vandalism and violence, including burning cars. The heightened federal response over the objections of state and city officials led to growing friction between local leaders and the Trump administration. Newsom said he formally requested the White House rescind the 'unlawful' deployment and return the troops to his command, warning it would only ramp up tensions. The governor also said Sunday that he planned to sue the administration over the action. LA Police Chief Jim McDonnell said Sunday evening many of the earlier protests around the city had been peaceful, but that conditions deteriorated as people committing vandalism and violence replaced daytime demonstrators. 'This violence that I've seen is disgusting,' McDonnell said at a press conference. 'What we saw the first night was was bad. What we've seen subsequent to that is getting increasingly worse and more violent.' In a series of Truth Social posts late Sunday, Trump described the unrest as an attack on immigration enforcement efforts. 'A once great American City, Los Angeles, has been invaded and occupied by illegal aliens and criminals,' he wrote. Trump called the demonstrations 'migrant riots' and said federal agencies were directed to take 'all such action necessary' to restore order and continue deportation operations. He later urged law enforcement to escalate their response, including arresting people wearing face masks. Meanwhile, Newsom urged protesters to remain peaceful, an admonition some demonstrators ignored as crowds blocked a major roadway through downtown and people set fire to several self-driving ride-hailing vehicles nearby. Newsom met Sunday evening with law enforcement leaders in Los Angeles, he posted on X. 'We're here to keep the peace — not play into Trump's political games,' he wrote. According to LAPD officials, nearly 30 people were arrested Saturday. At least 10 arrests were made Sunday and three officers were injured. The California Highway Patrol made 17 arrests and the LAPD said more are likely as the immigration raids continue and the violence that's already taken place is investigated. Federal law enforcement officials clashed briefly with a smaller group of demonstrators earlier on Sunday when a crowd gathered outside a federal building in downtown LA. The LAPD declared the gathering an unlawful assembly, using less than lethal munitions, like tear gas and batons to chase the crowd back. The LAPD said some people in the crowd threw bottles, chunks of concrete and other objects. The ICE raids are sending a sense of fear and chaos into the city, LA Mayor Karen Bass said during a press conference late Sunday afternoon, adding that people who want to protest should do so peacefully. The First Amendment grants a right to peaceful protest 'but it does not give you the right to be violent to create chaos, or to vandalize property, and that will not be tolerated,' she said. National Guard The tense demonstration follows two days of protests sparked by sweeping US immigration raids across the region. Trump directed US Northern Command to assume control of the National Guard and dispatch 2,000 soldiers to the area 'for 60 days or at the discretion of the Secretary of Defense,' the White House said in a statement. About 300 soldiers from the California National Guard's 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team have been deployed to three locations in greater LA, according to US Northern Command. The Guard is focused on 'safety and protection of federal property and personnel,' the command said in a post on X. The 79th IBCT is primarily a combat unit, though it has previously been called up to support civilian authorities, and a unit most recently responded to the LA-area wildfires earlier this year. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that Marines could be sent next if protests intensify. Newsom called Hegseth's suggestion of deploying the Marines from nearby Camp Pendleton 'deranged.' Hegseth on Sunday countered that Newsom had allowed violence to get out of hand. 'Deranged = allowing your city to burn & law enforcement to be attacked,' Hegseth said in a post on X. 'There is plenty of room for peaceful protest, but ZERO tolerance for attacking federal agents who are doing their job. The National Guard, and Marines if need be, stand with ICE.' Facing mounting pressure from the White House, ICE has ramped up arrests in recent weeks, averaging about 2,000 detentions per day nationwide — still falling short of the administration's goal of at least 3,000 daily arrests. The stepped-up enforcement is part of Trump's vow to carry out the largest deportation campaign in US history. In the LA area, ICE reported 118 arrests this week, though the agency has not released updated figures as of Sunday morning. The protests were triggered in part by federal immigration raids that swept through the city from late Friday. Demonstrators gathered outside the federal building downtown, including outside a detention center. Other protests broke out in Compton and in Paramount, south of the city, where a crowd formed near a Home Depot as raids were reportedly underway. Tensions escalated when some protesters threw objects at officers, prompting the LAPD to declare an unlawful assembly and order the crowd to disperse, according to local media reports. Riot police used tear gas and flash-bang grenades. US Representative Nanette Barragan, a Democrat whose district includes Paramount and other parts of Los Angeles County, accused the Trump administration of using federal troops to suppress dissent. By the time the more violent skirmishes broke out Saturday night, the original protesters had already cleared out and the 'unruly folks' had arrived, she said. 'It's going to escalate the situation,' she said Sunday on CNN's State of the Union. 'People are going to protest because they're angry about the situation. And we have to just reiterate the people to do it peacefully.' Barragan described ICE agents stopping 'anybody at a bus stop that's going to shop' and said she was warned to expect 30 days of stepped-up enforcement. 'Form of Rebellion' Trump has repeatedly threatened to cut off federal funding to cities and states that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities — so-called 'sanctuary' jurisdictions — including LA. California law bars local law enforcement from using resources to assist in most federal immigration actions. In response to past federal crackdowns, California Attorney General Rob Bonta has defended the state's sanctuary policies and sued the Trump administration over attempts to force local compliance, arguing that California has the right to set its own public safety priorities. In an interview with NBC News, Trump border czar Tom Homan said Newsom and Bass should be thanking the president for helping to restore order. Homan warned the leaders could face arrest if they obstruct immigration enforcement efforts. The White House said the National Guard was being deployed to protect federal personnel and property, including immigration detention centers, citing what Trump described as credible threats of violence that could obstruct enforcement efforts and 'constitute a form of rebellion' against the US government. But the legal basis for the decision could face challenges. Federal law strictly limits the deployment of federal troops within US borders. The 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, along with amendments and supporting regulations, generally bars the use of the active-duty U.S. military — the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines — from carrying out domestic law enforcement. The law doesn't apply to state-controlled National Guard forces. --With assistance from María Paula Mijares Torres, Catherine Lucey, Isabela Fleischmann, Virginia Van Natta, Kevin Whitelaw and Kara Wetzel. (Updates with additional details of protests, law enforcement response. An earlier version was corrected to remove a video that included an erroneous description of Trump's comments on Marines.) The SEC Pinned Its Hack on a Few Hapless Day Traders. The Full Story Is Far More Troubling Cavs Owner Dan Gilbert Wants to Donate His Billions—and Walk Again Is Elon Musk's Political Capital Spent? What Does Musk-Trump Split Mean for a 'Big, Beautiful Bill'? Cuts to US Aid Imperil the World's Largest HIV Treatment Program ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
China Issues Travel Warning Over LA Riots
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Chinese consulate in Los Angeles warned its citizens to remain alert amid the riots in the Californian city and to stay away from large gatherings. LA protests against immigration enforcement over the weekend descended into rioting and looting. U.S. President Donald Trump is deploying 2,000 National Guard troops to quell the violence. "Law enforcement actions are ongoing in many places in the Los Angeles area," said an alert by the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles posted to social media and shared by China's state media. The consulate "reminds Chinese citizens in the Los Angeles area to pay close attention to official announcements and media reports, effectively enhance safety precautions, stay away from gathering places, crowded areas, or areas with poor public security, and avoid traveling at night or alone." This is a developing article. Updates to follow.
