Two brothers accused of buying hand sanitizer bottles across two states in an attempt to sell them at a high markup, have donated the remaining bottles to charity after Amazon blocked them from selling on its site.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Matt and Noah Colvin reportedly drove all over Tennessee and Kentucky buying up bottles of hand sanitizer and other antibacterial goods after the first U.S. case of coronavirus was reported earlier this month.
The pair then started selling the items online, with buyers initially paying between $8 and $70 per bottle of hand sanitizer. The profit was “multiples higher than what he had bought them for,” Matt Colvin told The New York Times.
“It was crazy money,” Colvin said.
Their plan came to a halt when Amazon blocked sellers from price gouging on products related to the pandemic, including face masks, wipes, and hand sanitizers. eBay also took measures to prohibit sales in the U.S. of sanitizer and masks.
HAPPENING NOW: Matt did not answer our calls so we went to his storage unit. The AG’s office was on the scene facilitating with the donation. This is the 3rd stop they’ve been to this morning to gather the sanitizer. @WRCB https://t.co/SLOaEwJLOj pic.twitter.com/REJPNhiSbS
— Hunter Hoagland (@HunterHoagland) March 15, 2020
According to NBC3, the brothers donated the remaining bottles to a local church. However, Samantha Fisher of the Tennessee Attorney General’s office said that it doesn’t mean they won’t face legal repercussions.
“I just want to make clear that donating the sanitizers does not mean they are off the hook legally. If evidence establishes they engaged in price gouging we will seek appropriate penalties.”
Colvin previously said he didn’t feel bad about buying so many hand sanitizers but he also didn’t expect that there would be such a shortage.
“I didn’t think it was going to blow up into a situation where everyone is being told to stay home.”
Colvin said he’s now worried about his family’s safety.
“If by my actions anyone was directly impacted and unable to get sanitizer because I purchased it all, I am truly sorry for that,” Colvin added.
At this point, it’s unclear what charges, if any, the Colvin brothers could face.
Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Pixabay]
