Kern County District Attorney's Office cracks down on price gouging and profiteering

If you notice a person or business who is price gouging or profiteering, the Kern County District Attorney's Office encourages you to file a report by calling at 868-2340 or submitting a complaint form online.

TAKING ADVANTAGE OFTHE COVID-19 PANDEMIC,INCREASING THE PRICES OF MUCHNEEDED ITEMS...SUCH AS FOOD,HOUSEHOLDITEMS AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES...THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE ISSUED ANEXECUTIVE ORDER, ON APRIL4TH THAT PROHIBITS PROFITEERINGAND EXPANDSPRICE GOUGING PROTECTIONS"WHAT THE LAW DOES NOW, GIVES USAGREATER ABILITY TO PROTECTCONSUMERS, BUSINESSES AND THEVULNERABLE.

THIS IS SOMETHING WEHAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE, THISPANDEMIC IS A LITTLE BITDIFFERENT THEN WHAT WE'VE SEENFROM FIRES ANDEARTHQUAKES"OVER THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS, THEDISTRICT ATTORNEY'SOFFICE SAYS THEY HAVEINVESTIGATED MORE THAN 60COMPLAINTS OF PRICE GOUGINGALLEGATIONS PRICE GOUGING OCCURSWHEN A PERSON OR BUSINESS WHOALREADY SOLD SPECIFIC ITEMSPRIOR TO THE DECLARATION OF ASTATE OF EMERGENCY, THEN RAISESTHOSE PRICESAFTER THE STATE OF EMERGENCY BYMORE THAN 10 PERCENT - ANINCREASE THAT IS NOT BECAUSE OFINCREASED COSTS TO OBTAIN THATITEMBUT KERN COUNTY DISTRICTATTORNEY CYNTHIA ZIMMERSAYS THEY HAVE SEEN MOREINCIDENTS OF PROFITEERINGCOMPARED TO PRICE GOUGING...."WHEN A BUSINESS OR A PERSON DIDNOTSELL THE ITEM PRIOR THE STATE OFEMERGENCY BEING DECLARED BUTAFTERTHEY DID, THEY FIGURED OUT WHATTHEY COULD MAKE A PROFIT ON ANDGO-OUT AND BUY IT AND THEN JACK UPTHE PRICE EXORBITANTLY HIGH"A PRICE THAT IS MORE THAN 50-PERCENT GREATER THANTHE AMOUNT THE PERSON ORBUSINESS PAID FOR THAT ITEM....BOTH ARE MIDEMEANOR CRIMES -PRICE GOUGING ISPUNISHABLE BY UP TO ONE YEAR INJAIL AND A 10-THOUSANDDOLLAR FINE....WHILEPROFITEERING IS PUNISHABLE BY UPTO 6-MONTHS IN JAIL AND A ONETHOUSAND DOLLAR FINE...DISTRICT ATTORNEY ZIMMER SAYSPEOPLE CAN FACE A CHARGEFOR EACH ITEM SOLD."WE REALIZE THAT BUSINESSES ARESUFFERING DURING THIS PANDEMIC,AND WE DON'T WANT BUSINESSES TOSHUTDOWN, SO WE HAVE BEEN DOINGQUITE THE BUSINESS EDUCATION FORBUSINESSES, AND EXPLAINING WHATTHE LAW IS AND WHAT THEY CANNOTDO.

THEOVERWHELMING MAJORITY OFBUSINESSES IN KERN COUNTY ARECOMPLYING WITH THE LAW"IF YOU NOTICE ANY PRICE GOUGINGOR PROFITEERING,THE D-A'S OFFICE ENCOURAGES YOUTO CONTACT THEM AT 868-2340 ORSUBMIT A COMPLAINT FORM ONLINEON THEIR PAGE AT KERNCOUNTY DOT COMREPORTING IN BAKERSFIELD, I'MIMANI STEPHENS, 23ABC NEWS,CONNECTING YOU..NOW WE TURN TO THE STORM THATDRENCHED KERN COUNY IN RAIN