Task force, administrative fines and other efforts aim to stop price gouging in Fresno area
Central San Joaquin Valley prosecutors say they continue to investigate reports of price gouging during the coronavirus pandemic.
Warnings of the threat of the respiratory virus also known as COVID-19 led to reports of panic buying from people who flooded stores to hoard toilet paper, food and water.
At the same time, elected officials have said they will not tolerate store owners trying to make a quick buck by spiking prices.
Price gouging is when a seller raises prices more than 10% over the price asked before the time of a crisis.
Fresno County Assistant District Attorney Jerry Stanley said prosecutors would not discuss pending cases but investigators continue to look into reports of price gouging.
The number of reports has gone down in recent days, Stanley wrote in an email. “We’re hopeful that the downward trend continues with the heightened awareness that wrongdoers could be subjected to criminal and/or civil penalties.”
There have been 246 complaints of price gouging in the city of Fresno, according to numbers from the Fresno City Attorney’s Office.
The city of Fresno announced it issued its first $10,000 administrative fine on March 19 to Super Liquor for allegedly selling bottled water at an inflated price.
The city’s citations are administrative and can be issued without any accused person being arrested or charged with a crime in court, according to officials. Fresno City Attorney Doug Sloan did not say if he would ask prosecutors to pursue formal charges.
The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office had not received a request to pursue charges through last week, according to Stanley.
Nonessential shops
Another 265 businesses have been reported for being a nonessential business still operating during the pandemic, the City Attorney’s Office said. Eighty-nine were given warnings to close.
Three tobacco shops – Cigarette Store in southeast Fresno, 559 Cigarettes near downtown and High Society Smoke Shop 2 in central Fresno – each received $1,000 administrative citations for operating when they should be closed, according to city staffers.
Residents in the city of Fresno have been ordered to stay home except for essential trips and many shops were told to close to lessen the spread of the pandemic.
Gov. Gavin Newsom also issued a statewide stay-at-home directive, restricting nonessential businesses from opening. He froze prices at that time, as well.
Tulare County
Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward said his office has received about 50 calls for price gouging through Friday. Investigators formed a task force to pursue the claims.
Stores were warned about price gouging and investigators did follow-up visits undercover, according to Ward.
A number of reports were misunderstandings, he said. For example, spices typically cost more at a convenience store than a grocery store and organic milk is commonly more expensive than the traditional kind.
