Latest news with #ConsumerSalesPracticesAct
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Body Armor Maker Sued for Mislabeling Plates Sold to Law Enforcement
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced a new lawsuit against body armor manufacturer ShotStop Ballistics from Stow, Ohio, for allegedly importing Chinese-produced plates and labeling them as 'made in Ohio' and compliant with standards from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the Department of Justice's testing arm. The lawsuit stated that the alleged actions by ShotStop, its Vallmar Studios affiliate and owner Vall Iliev violated the Consumer Sales Practices Act (CSPA). Most Read on IEN: Trade War Could Put 'Christmas in Danger' IBM to Invest Billions in American Manufacturing Mack Trucks to Lay Off Up to 450, Cites Tariffs PODCAST: Tesla's Odometer Troubles; Mack Layoffs; Tariff Fallout Reports of the alleged scandal surfaced in May 2024 when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned the Akron Police Department that its SWAT officers were using counterfeit ballistic plates, according to Ohio television station WKYC. A police department spokesperson said it was his understanding that ShotStop was accused of providing the fake armor. ShotStop had filed for bankruptcy about a week before the report. Yost's lawsuit stems from a cross-agency investigation regarding the allegations. In February, the DOJ charged Iliev with smuggling the armor and selling it to customers that included law enforcement from around 2017 to October 2023. In May 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at a Washington port of entry stopped a Canadian-registered truck transporting over 200 ballistic body armor plates in boxes from China. The agents found the boxes pre-labeled and addressed to Vallmar Studios. Test results revealed that the plates did not meet NIJ standards for Level III protection, which can stop 7.62-millimeter FMJ lead core rifle ammunition. The company marketed the armor as Level III and IV. According to the DOJ release, Iliev allegedly collaborated with a Chinese broker company to find cheap manufacturers to make the body armor. The DOJ said Iliev would tell his employees to attach the false labels before selling the products. The agency noted that ShotStop's U.S. location had no means of producing the thousands of body armor plates that investigators found. Yost's lawsuit seeks restitution for consumers who purchased the defective bulletproof vests. The lawsuit noted that realizing the extent of consumer losses will require further legal discovery because of ShotStop's bankruptcy filing and the federal government's seizure of company records. Click here to subscribe to our daily newsletter featuring breaking manufacturing industry news.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Yahoo
Attorney General Dave Yost sues ShotStop Ballistic for selling smuggled body armor to police
[Watch in the player above: Fake body armor was sold to Akron Police Department's SWAT team.] COLUMBUS, Ohio (WJW) — A Stow man who sold counterfeit body armor smuggled from China to law enforcement agencies, passing it off as locally made, is now being targeted by the state's top lawman. Attorney General Dave Yost has sued Vall Iliev, his company and an affiliate for violations of the Consumer Sales Practices Act, according to a Wednesday news release. Ohio Supreme Court declines to review appeal of Mackenzie Shirilla, imprisoned for life in July 2022 double-fatal crash 'Armor is meant to save lives, not sell lies,' Yost is quoted in the release. 'Consumers deserve to know that this type of equipment is going to provide the protection promised.' Iliev's business, Stow-based ShotStop Ballistics, marketed and sold body armor claimed to have been made in-house by Ilev's affiliate, Vallmar Studios, and certified by the National Institute of Justice for safety standards. But a federal and state investigation found the Chinese-made armor was falsely labeled, and that it 'did not meet safety standards necessary to protect users,' reads the release. Testing performed at a ballistics laboratory found the plates failed to meet the standard that was advertised, federal prosecutors said in a previous news release. Prosecutors said 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. 'I messed up' man says at sentencing for doctor's death Iliev pleaded guilty in March to conspiracies to smuggle and traffic in counterfeit goods and to commit mail and wire fraud in Ohio's Northern District federal court. He remains free on a $20,000 unsecured bond and is due for sentencing on July 8, court records show. Yost's new lawsuit seeks restitution for those who bought the defective armor. The business went bankrupt in 2023 and its were assets seized by the government, meaning a full account of customers' losses will take more investigation, according to the release. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Ohio sues 6 used car dealerships, including 1 in Stark County, over title complaints
PERRY TWP. — A former Stark County car dealership is among six being sued by the state. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is accusing the used car dealerships, including Automax of Canton, of failing to properly provide vehicle titles for buyers. 'Buying a used car without knowing the dealer's reputation is a roll of the fuzzy dice,' Yost said in a prepared statement. 'Reading online reviews and checking for a history of complaints could spare you the headache of a bad deal.' The dealership, formerly at 5158 Tuscarawas St W, and its operator, Elias Eberly, are accused of violating Ohio's Consumer Sales Practices Act and the Certificate of Motor Vehicles Act. Eberly is currently in an Ohio prison serving time on a weapons-related conviction from Summit County. Eberly's attorney could not be reached Monday for a comment. Yost's Consumer Protection Section issued a total of $312,690 from a title defect fund to consumers who did not receive titles within 40 days of purchasing their vehicle at the listed dealerships. Complaints stemming from the Automax of Canton accounted for $46,055 of that sum. Here are all six businesses being sued and the amount of money from title defect fund used for resolutions from each: Sirius Motors: Butler County, $86,319 Highway 22 Auto Sales: Fairfield County, $39,121 Robinson Auto: Fayette County, $62,454 Ohio Luxury Imports: Licking County, $71,858 Automax of Canton: Stark County, $46,055 Prestige Family Cars: Wood County, $6,883 This article originally appeared on The Repository: Used car dealership lawsuit in Ohio includes a Stark County location
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Utah legislators take a stand against social media exploitation
On Wednesday night, the Utah Legislature passed a bill establishing a precedent between Big Tech and its users in Utah. HB418 grants users the right to own, control and manage their data, ultimately changing the business dynamic between users, advertisers and platform owners. It 'ensures that users can permanently delete their information,' the bill's floor sponsor, Majority Assistant Whip Sen. Michael Mckell, R-Spanish Fork, said during the Senate vote on Wednesday. 'This turns users into customers instead of products.' McKell noted that social media companies have prioritized monetizing personal data by designing their platforms to maximize ad revenue rather than enhance user experience. He argued that when users can move their data freely, platforms must compete for ad dollars and user trust, safety and satisfaction. Though the bill passed, Sen. John Johnson, R-North Ogden, opposed HB418, arguing against government-impose regulations, emphasizing a concern in harming business by limiting data access and potentially pushing social media companies away from Utah. 'Utah actually prides itself on being friendly to business, but now we want to put up barriers,' he said. Here's what I believe is going to happen with this, and that is that that all of a sudden, Facebook and others are going to decide just to firewall off Utah because they cannot meet this interoperability requirement that you're setting up for them. I think that's a barrier to business. I think it's bad business.' However, the bill's sponsor, Rep. Doug Fiefia, R-Herriman, told the Deseret News that six states are closely watching what becomes of this bill. 'Utah is leading the nation with this legislation,' he said. 'As more people demand transparency and control over their data, we hope to see this movement grow nationwide.' 'This was a bipartisan effort because ensuring individuals — not corporations — have the final say over their personal information is not a partisan issue,' he added. 'I'm proud of the work we've done, and I appreciate the overwhelming support from my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. This is about protecting Utahns and ensuring that they — not big tech companies — decide how their data is used.' The legislature isn't the only government body advocating against the harm social media poses to users, particularly minors. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and the Attorney General's Office, led by Derek Brown, have remained vigilant in holding social media platforms like TikTok accountable. Last year, the Utah Division of Consumer Protection filed a complaint against the video-sharing platform, accusing them of knowingly allowing minors to be sexually exploited on their live stream feature. 'TikTok's design tactics encourage and allow it to profit from crime and the sexual exploitation of children,' the suit states. 'These deceptive and unconscionable practices violate Utah's Consumer Sales Practices Act and harm Utah's consumers.' In January, the United States Supreme Court cleared the path for a ban on TikTok, deciding that a policy mandating the app's ownership change does not violate free speech rights. The app, owned by ByteDance, a private Chinese company, was banned in the country for less than 24 hours on Jan. 18. In a recent Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll conducted by HarrisX, 805 Uthans were asked whether or not they support the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the congressional ban on TikTok. More supported it than opposed it. Republican voters (30%) were also slightly more likely than Democrat voters (24%) to strongly support the decision. The poll, conducted from Feb. 18 to 25, has a margin of error of +/—3.5 percentage points. Although the app is available for download again across all platforms in the U.S., the Trump administration continues to advocate for a deal that would put the platform under U.S. control, preventing foreign entities from accessing American user data.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Judge denies TikTok's request to dismiss Utah's case alleging sexual exploitation of children
A judge on Friday denied TikTok's request to dismiss a case filed by Utah over allegations the company knowingly profits off child sexual exploitation. In the lawsuit, Utah Division of Consumer Protection vs. TikTok, filed in June 2024, the state alleges TikTok is aware its livestream feature allows young users to be sexually exploited, with the allegations based on internal studies and admissions by employees. 'TikTok's design tactics encourage and allow it to profit from crime and the sexual exploitation of children,' the suit states. 'These deceptive and unconscionable practices violate Utah's Consumer Sales Practices Act and harm Utah's consumers.' TikTok tried to get the case dismissed, but on Friday, 3rd District Court Judge Coral Sanchez denied the request. 'Protecting Utah children from exploitation and the harms that TikTok knowingly inflicts upon them is one of my highest priorities as attorney general,' Utah Attorney General Derek Brown said in a press release, responding to news of the dismissal. 'I am grateful for the court's decision that allows Utah's lawsuit against TikTok to move forward, helping us protect young people from sexual exploitation. This decision will help me in my fight to protect and defend Utah children.' About the case, a TikTok spokesperson previously said, 'TikTok has industry-leading policies and measures to help protect the safety and well-being of teens. Creators must be at least 18 years old before they can go LIVE, and their account must meet a follower requirement. We immediately revoke access to features if we find accounts that do not meet our age requirements.' Over the past few years, attorneys general across the country have tried to address safety concerns associated with children and teens using social media platforms like TikTok and Snapchat. In a joint letter signed and sent in 2022 by 44 AGs to the two online platforms, the attorneys warned of 'online dangers including cyberbullying, drug use and sexual predation' that children are allegedly subjected to while using the apps. Utah filed its first lawsuit against TikTok in October 2023. In that consumer protection suit, the state alleged TikTok was aware its social media app was addictive via features such as the algorithm and push notifications. About that suit, a TikTok spokesperson previously said, 'TikTok has industry-leading safeguards for young people, including an automatic 60-minute time limit for users under 18 and parental controls for teen accounts. We will continue to work to keep our community safe by tackling industry-wide challenges.'
