The Akron Police Department is among 56 customers to file warranty claims against ShotStop Ballistics in its Chapter 7 liquidation proceedings, according to documents filed Oct. 8 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Northern District of Ohio.
Each of the company’s former customers listed in the filing are attempting to get back a sliver of the money they spent on potentially faulty ballistic plates.
Signal Akron reported earlier this year that the the Department of Homeland Security warned departments throughout the country last November that ShotStop Ballistics body armor purchased after 2018 is not compliant with the national safety standards that the company claimed.
The APD’s SWAT unit wore ShotStop body armor — and the department sought and received $60,000 from Akron City Council to replace the plates in May.
Law enforcement in Ohio, across the country affected
The reach of the Stow-based company that sold the Akron Police Department’s SWAT unit counterfeit body armor extends to other law enforcement agencies throughout Ohio and the rest of the country.
The list includes Ohio agencies such as the Columbus Division of Police and the Stark County Sheriff’s Office and agencies throughout the country such as the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the Alaska State Troopers. The use of potentially faulty body armor by these agencies has not previously been publicly revealed, and the list does not include all agencies that used the body armor.
Civil court records show that the embattled company was already facing lawsuits from investors alleging widespread financial fraud by the time federal agents raided its Stow headquarters last October and it quickly stopped operations. Court records indicate all of the company’s inventory was seized.
In May, just days before the APD sought funding for replacement gear, ShotStop Ballistics filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection, meaning the lawsuits are stopped and company assets will be liquidated to pay back what is likely to be only a fraction of its debts.
Each of the 56 creditors listed in the October 8 filing is listed as “unsecured” and “non-priority,” with potential warranty claims against the company “based upon the sale of counterfeit goods.” They won’t be paid until higher priority debts are paid, and it’s unclear how much, if anything, the creditors could be entitled to.
Among the tactical gear retailers, distributors, security companies and private individuals are more than 20 law enforcement and government entities. Ohio agencies with potential warranty claims against ShotStop Ballistics for counterfeit body armor include:
- Akron Police Department
- Columbus Division of Police
- Stark County Sheriff’s Office
- Rocky River Police Department
- Stow Police Department
- Strongsville Police Department
- Wood County Sheriff’s Office
- City of Munroe Falls
- Shelby Police Department
- NASA Glenn Research Center
Nationally, the list includes:
- Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
- Alaska State Troopers
- The Department of Homeland Security (Kansas City, Missouri, office)
- U.S. Marshals Service (Tucson, Arizona)
- The United States Postal Inspection Service (Arlington, Virginia)
- The Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office (Maryland),
- The City of Berkeley (California)
- The Pennsylvania Sheriff’s Association
There are other agencies that used counterfeit ShotStop plates, like police in Bismarck, North Dakota, that have not filed claims in bankruptcy court.