Vermont settles with mask seller accused of price-gouging
December 22, 2020 GMT
BERLIN, Vt. (AP) The Vermont attorney general’s office has settled with a South Burlington business and its owner over what the office called a “price-gouging scheme” involving masks sold to Central Vermont Medical Center last spring.
As part of the settlement, Shelley Palmer, owner of Big Brother Security Programs, Inc. must provide 80,000 items of personal protective equipment to CVMC, and 10,000 to the state to be distributed around Vermont, the Times Argus reported.
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Attorney General T.J. Donovan’s office had sued Palmer and his business in April saying Palmer had imported surgical masks from China that cost 10 cents each and then sold those masks to the Berlin hospital for $2.50 each, a 2400% mark up.
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Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan today announced a settlement of the Consumer Protection Act enforcement action brought to stop a price-gouging scheme involving surgical masks by Big Brother Security Programs, Inc and its owner Shelley Palmer. The settlement required the defendants to provide nearly 80,000 units of personal protective equipment (PPE) to Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC) and 10,000 units of PPE to the State of Vermont for distribution throughout the state.
The distribution of PPE will serve as restitution for charging exorbitant prices for critically needed surgical masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Price-gouging will not be tolerated in Vermont, especially during this historic pandemic,” said Attorney General Donovan. “Protecting Vermonters, especially hospitals and medical professionals, from unfair practices involving medical equipment will remain a top priority for my office. I will continue to d