Accused Coronavirus Price Gougers Sued By Ohio

COLUMBUS, OH — Ohio officials are suing two people accused of hoarding hand sanitizer during the COVID-19 pandemic. The couple is accused of then selling the hand sanitizer for 11 times the retail price.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said Marcus and Ellen Fultz, both from Athens, sold their hoarded hand sanitizer through Amazon. Yost said the couple raised prices on hand sanitizer by more than 1,000 percent in some cases.

“This is appalling behavior and should be answered in a court of law,” Yost said. “Even more, it points out the need for a specific price-gouging law.”

The couple sold 600 Purell hand sanitizer products in February and March and pulled in more than $26,000 through the sales, the lawsuit against the couple said. The Fultz's sold an 8-ounce bottle of Purell for $39.44, Yost said.

The state's lawsuit accused the couple of violating Ohio's Consumer Sales Practices Act, saying they "unfairly inflated prices...during a national health crisis." Yost said he wants a court to order the couple to reimburse their customers and pay civil penalties.