Attorney for body armor co. executive on trial in NY derides testimony of firm’s ex-CFO

Lawyer derides gov’t witness in NY body armor case

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. — A defense attorney claims a key government witness lied in her testimony against two former executives of the nation’s leading supplier of body armor to the U.S. military.

David Brooks and Sandra Hatfield, former top executives at DHB Industries Inc., are accused in federal court in New York of falsely inflating the value of the inventory in a scheme that netted them a combined $190 million.

Attorney Kenneth Ravenell said in closing arguments Tuesday that former DHB chief financial officer Dawn Schlegel testified against his client to receive a sweetheart sentencing deal. She has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud.

The lawyer says Schlegel admitted during 23 days of testimony that she had lied about income on her personal tax returns.