March 15 (UPI) -- Japanese company Toyobo and is U.S. subsidiary agreed to pay $66 million in a settlement with the U.S. government for selling defective bullet proof vests to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies, the Justice Department announced Thursday
Between at least 2001 and 2005, Toyobo knew that its bullet proof material, Zylon, degraded quickly in normal heat and humidity, which made it unfit for use in bullet proof vests, according to the settlement.