PLEASANTON — For the first time ever, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office has filed criminal misdemeanor charges against a Pleasanton grocery store and its owner for price gouging during the coronavirus.
Customers began complaining about the price gouging at Apna Bazar shortly after the emergency shelter-in-place order took effect in March. The DA’s office received the complains via phone calls, emails and through social meeting. The complaint, which names the store itself and store owner Rajvinder Singh, marks the first-ever price gouging case in Alameda County.
“The law prevents businesses from profiteering when we are in a state of emergency. All businesses throughout Alameda County must be on notice that we will not sit idly by and allow consumers to fall prey to price gouging. My office will ensure that businesses adhere to the law and do not exploit consumers,” says District Attorney Nancy O’Malley in a statement Thursday.
Her office and the state Attorney General Xavier Becerra joined forces to file the nine-count misdemeanor complaint against the store and owner.
“We take price gouging seriously and are committed to going after those who break the law during the public health emergency,” said Becerra.
The law prohibits charging a price that is more than 10% of the item before the state or local emergency. The complaint alleges that Singh illegally raised the prices of essential foods at his store over 10%, some in excess of 300%, the DA alleges.
As early as March 18, the day after the shelter-in-place order took effect for Alameda County, the Alameda County DA’s Office was aware of the price gouging at the store, according to a court document.
Posts on social media and pictures received by the office noted that prices on the shelves were scribbled out and crossed with new prices. One customer complained that the store was charging “whatever they want.”
On Yelp.com, several customers complained of the price gouging, warning fellow customers to not shop at the store.
“They try to overcharge you and when you catch it looking at the receipt their response will be “mistakes happen,” said one user. Another commented “Expired snacks, stale dairy and food items – and not just once; repeatedly! Price gouging during COVID-19.”
The DA’s office interviewed Singh, who told the inspector that he had been forced to turn to other suppliers to keep his shelves stocked, and he was passing on the added costs to customers. But when asked for justification for these price increases, he never allegedly got back to the DA inspector.
Apna Bazar has other locations throughout the Bay Area, including a store in Antioch and Sunnyvale. Those stores are not included in the investigation or the criminal complaint.
The DA’s Office has set up a price gouging email, [email protected] and encourages those who have been a victim of the crime to email them.
Singh is expected to be arraigned in court on July 9.
