Harris County announced it has reached a substantial settlement from its second lawsuit with a gas station accused of price gouging during Hurricane Beryl.
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According to a news release by County Attorney Christian Menefee, his office received several complaints about a Shell gas station on W Loop South in Bellaire.
After a thorough investigation, officials found the gas station increased fuel prices by more than 19% during the hurricane. Despite getting a cease-and-desist notice, the company reportedly refused, so the attorney’s office took action.
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This was the second gas station in Harris County accused of price gouging.
“These lawsuits filed after Hurricane Beryl show that we will not sit by while businesses try to take advantage of residents during a crisis,” County Attorney Menefee said in a statement. “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.”