Westrick Wins California False Claims Appeal
Bullet proof vest whistleblower, Dr. Aaron Westrick, scored a major victory before the Court of Appeal of the State of California. May 26, 2011, the court reinstated Westrick’s California False Claims Act case against Itochu International, Inc., the corporation that imported “Zylon” into the United States. Dr. Westrick was the only insider in the body armor industry who exposed the deadly defects of the “Zylon” used in the body armor. Dr. Westrick’s whistleblowing resulted in a nation-wide recall of the vest and a federal false claims act litigation that has already resulted in a recovery for taxpayers in the millions of dollars from companies that knowingly sold the defective products to federal law enforcement agencies.
The California decision marks the first time that the state FCA was used to hold an importer of “Zylon” accountable. Dr. Westrick’s federal FCA case remains ongoing.
Links:
State of California ex rel. Westrick v. Itochu International, Inc.
Westrick Memo from December 2001 asking Second Chance to warn customers
Decision of U.S. District Court to deny Toyobo’s motion to dismiss
Background information on Dr. Aaron Westrick
