BURLINGTON, Vt. — A military contractor based in Vermont has reached an agreement to pay almost $500,000 to resolve accusations concerning the use of foreign materials in protective eyewear it marketed, despite being required to exclusively use domestically sourced components. This announcement was made by the office of the U.S. Attorney for Vermont.

Revision Military Ltd., located in Essex Junction, allegedly used foreign-made carrying pouches, cases, and straps in specific eyewear that were sold under a defense program. This program mandates that textile materials must be sourced from within the United States, according to statements released by federal prosecutors on Monday. The foreign components were incorporated into products sold between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2020. As part of the settlement, the company will disburse $426,000.

The Berry Amendment, a federal law, stipulates that government entities must prioritize products that are manufactured and sourced within the United States.

According to Nikolas Kerest, the U.S. Attorney for Vermont, “In selling products that it knew to be non-compliant, Revision violated the trust placed in government contractors in furtherance of its own bottom line.”

Although Revision sold its protective eyewear segment in 2019, it has denied any wrongdoing, arguing that there were no losses incurred by the government since the eyewear functioned properly. The company emphasized its commitment to compliance with standards.

In a statement, Revision noted, “In this spirit, the settlement agreement formally documents the government crediting Revision’s new ownership and management team for self-initiating improved compliance measures, replacing former employees responsible for oversight of compliance-related matters, and collaborating with the government investigation.”