Americas

    US sues Japanese body armor manufacturer

    (AP)
    Updated: 2007-06-28 08:45
    Large Medium Small

    DETROIT - The federal government is suing a Japanese manufacturer it claims supplied defective material found in 100,000 bulletproof vests used by US law enforcement officials.

    A False Claims Act lawsuit has been filed against Osaka-based Toyobo Co. Ltd. and its American subsidiary, Toyobo America Inc.

    Federal officials claim from 1999 to 2005 Toyobo manufactured and marketed Zylon, a polymer fiber used in the manufacture of bulletproof vests, despite knowing the fiber was defective and the company's manufacturing process was flawed. The lawsuit alleges the defective material reduced the strength of the vests and claims the company knew that Zylon degraded much faster than it had disclosed.

    The vests were sold to a variety of body armor manufacturers, including Central Lake, Michigan-based Second Chance Body Armor Inc., and were then purchased using federal funds by federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies, according to the US Justice Department.

    "The knowing provision of defective material for use in the bulletproof vests worn by our federal agents and other law enforcement officers is more than just a fraud on the US Treasury," said Peter D. Keisler, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division. "Toyobo's conduct here put the lives of hundreds of thousands of law enforcement officers at risk."

    Toyobo officials said they believe the charges "are without basis" and mimic earlier allegations against Second Chance.

    "Toyobo's actions were proper and prompt and the company was not involved in the design, engineering, production, or sale of the armored manufacturers' vests," Toyobo spokesman Kent Jarrell said Wednesday night in an e-mail response to The Associated Press.

    He said in 2001 Toyobo began aging tests on Zylon and reported results to body armor manufacturers. Jarrell said the company asked manufacturers to consider the data when designing, producing and testing their vests.

    Toyobo also claims it urged all manufacturers to inform their customers of the test results.

    "This company allowed its material, Zylon, to be used to make soft body armor without making the law enforcement officers aware of its deficiencies," said Chuck Canterbury, national president of the Fraternal Order of Police. "They not only defrauded the agencies which purchased these vests, they put the lives of men and women at risk."

    Previously, the United States intervened against Toyobo and Second Chance Body Armor in a separate False Claims Act lawsuit stemming from defective Zylon bulletproof vests sold by Second Chance.

    In 2005, Toyobo agreed to pay $29 million to settle a class-action suit by police officers and departments across the country that used Second Chance vests.

    分享按鈕
    亚洲精品无码av天堂| 无码专区—VA亚洲V天堂| 亚洲2022国产成人精品无码区 | 国产一区三区二区中文在线| 无码午夜成人1000部免费视频| 色噜噜狠狠成人中文综合| 日韩精品无码中文字幕一区二区| 色噜噜狠狠成人中文综合| 无码精品前田一区二区| 免费无码中文字幕A级毛片| 中文字幕精品无码久久久久久3D日动漫 | 日韩免费无码一区二区三区| 日本中文字幕免费高清视频| 国产亚洲情侣一区二区无码AV | 中文字幕成人精品久久不卡| 久久亚洲精品无码播放| 蜜桃成人无码区免费视频网站 | 无码AV中文字幕久久专区| 无码任你躁久久久久久老妇App| 无码中文人妻在线一区二区三区| 狠狠躁狠狠爱免费视频无码| 日韩精品无码一区二区三区 | 中文字幕在线观看亚洲日韩| 亚洲精品无码激情AV| 国产免费久久久久久无码| gogo少妇无码肉肉视频| 久久久久久久亚洲Av无码| 亚洲AV无码1区2区久久| 亚洲∧v久久久无码精品| 亚洲av无码片vr一区二区三区| 精品无码成人片一区二区98| 中文字幕精品视频在线| 无码人妻丝袜在线视频| 久久久无码精品亚洲日韩京东传媒 | 国偷自产短视频中文版| 亚洲人成无码www久久久| 亚洲av无码专区在线观看下载| 亚洲Av无码乱码在线znlu| 在线看福利中文影院| 国产精品中文久久久久久久| 欧美视频中文字幕|