Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued gas stations in Dallas-Fort Worth and Laredo on Monday for alleged price gouging during Hurricane Harvey.
The lawsuits accuse Big Willy’s and Tejano Mart of charging customers excessive prices for gasoline – ranging from $4 to $10 a gallon – when there was a fuel shortage in the days before and after the storm hit South Texas.
Paxton filed price gouging cases against two service stations and a motel in DFW and Laredo in September. Those charges are pending.
“Price gouging by unscrupulous profiteers is something that no Texan should have been confronted with during a declared disaster like Hurricane Harvey,” Paxton said in a written statement.
“Price gouging is illegal, unconscionable and completely opposite the spirit of cooperation we saw just about everywhere else in our state before, during and after the hurricane,” he said. “My office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute more cases arising from Harvey.”
Paxton said Monday that he sent notices of violations to 127 Texas retailers last month accusing them of price gouging at their gas stations. A finding of price gouging carries civil penalties up to $20,000 for each violation, rising to $250,000 for violations targeting those 65 and older.