More Than $1 Million In Fines For Price Gouging Issued By Nassau

NASSAU COUNTY, NY — Nassau County has issued hundreds of fines to businesses for price gouging, worth more than $1 million dollars. The county's work also led to a first-in-the-nation arrest of a business owner under the Defense Production Act.

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran announced the latest results of the county's crackdown, known as Operation Sticker Shock. Since March, the county has issued 256 tickets for price gouging. With fines of up to $5,000 each, those tickets are worth $1.14 million, Curran said.

"Price gouging of critical supplies is unconscionable," said Curran. "These are the supplies that our first responders, our nurses and our healthcare workers rely on to keep them safe."

Many of the tickets started with reports of price gauging by residents. You can send information about suspected price gouging to pricegouging@nassaucountyny.gov.

The county's investigations led to the arrest of a Woodbury man for hoarding medical supplies at his Plainview store and selling them for inflated prices, authorities said. He was arrested last month.

"Price gouging is illegal, it will continue to be illegal, and we will continue to hold businesses accountable," Curran said.