Investigation of Possible Product Substitution by BIA Contractor

OIG recently concluded an investigation into allegations that a contractor misrepresented the manufacturer of body armor it sold to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) for their law enforcement personnel. We initiated this investigation in July 2016, after another law enforcement agency informed us that BIA had contracts with a contractor who had sold falsely labeled body armor, which the contractor had sold to other Federal agencies in the past.

 

We determined that the body armor the contractor sold to BIA was legitimate based upon a review of manufacturer and distributer records. The manufacturer confirmed that the serial, lot, and model numbers of the reviewed body armor accurately corresponded with the company’s records and that the manufacturer had a distribution agreement with the contractor.