Harris County Attorney Secures $50,000 Payment in Second Price Gouging Lawsuit From Hurricane Beryl
Houston, Texas — Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee secured a $50,000 settlement against a Houston-area gas station after receiving reports of price gouging during Hurricane Beryl. This is the second gas station that Harris County has sued for price gouging during the July disaster.
BTCM Aviation LLC operates a gas station selling Shell fuel located at 5910 W. Loop S., Bellaire, Texas 77401. The gas station increased fuel prices by over 19% during the hurricane. While most businesses complied with cease-and-desist notices, BTCM refused, and the HCAO promptly took legal action.
"These lawsuits filed after Hurricane Beryl show that we will not sit by while businesses try to take advantage of residents during a crisis," said County Attorney Menefee. "These two lawsuits saw a total of $100,000 in penalties and punitive measures, far more than they made during this period of exploiting their customers. We received over 250 complaints of price gouging in the days after the storm, but I hope that this serves as a warning for the future that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated here in Harris County."
For more information and to report consumer fraud or price gouging, visit the Harris County Attorney's Office website at cao.harriscountytx.gov.