Illegal Use of National Institute of Justice Body Armor Trademark Results in $1 Million Civil Judgment

Illegal Use of National Institute of Justice Body Armor Trademark Results in $1 Million Civil Judgment

WASHINGTON - The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), a component of the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs (OJP), today announced that a federal court has entered a $1 million judgment in its civil trademark action, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice v. Vall Iliev and Vallmar Studios, stemming from the fraudulent use of NIJ's body armor certification mark. The judgment underscores NIJ's zero tolerance for fraudulent activity that undermines trust in its certification mark and puts law enforcement officers at risk.

"The NIJ certification label plays a valuable role in Officer Safety," said NIJ Principal Deputy Director Jennifer Scherer, Ph.D. "It represents our commitment to law enforcement that they can rely on NIJ-certified equipment and count on its level of performance and protection."

The civil judgment follows a federal criminal case involving Vall Iliev, owner of Ohio-based ShotStop Ballistics, and the sale of foreign-made body armor that was falsely marketed as American made and certified by NIJ. For nearly a decade, the armor was advertised as NIJ-certified on the company's website and sold to law enforcement agencies and the public. In July 2025, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio announced that Iliev was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison and ordered to pay approximately $5.2 million in restitution to compensate victims and agencies defrauded by the company. The $1 million civil judgment entered in May 2026 by the Chief Judge of the Northern District of Ohio further holds the company accountable for the fraudulent use of NIJ's certification mark.

NIJ certifies body armor through the National Institute of Justice Compliance Testing Program, which evaluates commercially available armor to ensure it meets established standards, guaranteeing that body armor is reliable and performs as expected. Armor models tested through the program that successfully meet NIJ body armor standards 0101.07 and 0101.06 display the NIJ certification mark on the product label and appear on NIJ's recently updated body armor Compliant Products List.

Users of the NIJ's body armor Compliant Products List can find equipment tailored to specific threat levels, helping to match the gear to its intended operational use. Continuous updates to standards ensure that the compliance list includes body armor featuring the latest improvements and technological advancements. In addition, purchases of NIJ-certified body armor by public safety agencies may be eligible for a 50% reimbursement through the Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program administered through OJP's Bureau of Justice Assistance.

More information regarding the Office of Justice Programs and its components is available here.

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The National Institute of Justice

NIJ is the research, development, and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice, housed within the Office of Justice Programs. NIJ is dedicated to improving knowledge and understanding of crime and justice issues through science. It generates objective and independent evidence and tools to inform the decision-making of the criminal and juvenile justice communities to promote public safety and advance justice. More information about NIJ, and OJP's other components can be found at nij.ojp.gov.

The Office of Justice Programs

The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, funding, and other critical resources to directly support law enforcement, combat violent crime, protect American children, and provide services to American crime victims. More information about OJP and its program offices - the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking can be found at ojp.gov.

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OFFICE: nij.ojp.gov
CONTACT: OJP Media at [email protected]