Jeffrey Meining, 42, of Vancouver, Washington, was sentenced on March 19, 2024 to 12 months and one day in federal prison, plus three years of supervised release, for selling Chinese-made ballistic gear to police and the military while claiming it was made in the USA, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced.
The scheme
- From at least 2016 to 2022, Meining ran BulletProof-IT, which sold helmets, body armor and shields to law enforcement, fire departments and the military.
- His website and contracts said the gear was made in the USA when most of it was made in China.
- In December 2017 he bought 600 helmets from a Chinese company for just over $50,000 and sold them for $90,000 to a reseller that supplied the State Department.
- Under a GSA contract that allowed only goods made in the USA or designated countries, he supplied over $1 million in products, nearly $400,000 of them substitutes that failed required standards.
- He also falsely claimed NIJ certification and doctored failed test results, including to get a 2021 shipment released by CBP in Portland.
Who bought it
Buyers included the Mesa, Arizona Police Department, which signed a $247,800 contract for 840 helmets in 2019, and the U.S. Air Force, which signed a $32,680 contract in 2021 in which Meining stated the helmets were made in the USA. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in March 2023.
“Mr. Meining’s actions put U.S. servicemembers at risk, degraded American warfighter readiness, and undermined the missions of our military services.”
Bryan D. Denny, Defense Criminal Investigative Service
FAQ
What was the sentence?
12 months and one day in federal prison and three years of supervised release.
What did he claim?
That his helmets, body armor and shields were made in the USA and NIJ-certified. Most were made in China and not fully tested.
Who bought the gear?
Police and fire agencies, the State Department through a reseller, and the U.S. Air Force.
Source & credit
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Oregon, March 19, 2024, via DOJ OIG: “Washington State Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Marketing and Selling Low-Quality Ballistic Protective Equipment Produced in China”.
Also: KTVZ, March 19, 2024: “Wash. man sentenced to federal prison for selling low-quality, Chinese-made bullet-proof gear to police, military”.