West LA Pharmacist Charged With Price Gouging After Complaint She Was Selling KN95 Masks For Double Her Cost
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A West L.A. pharmacist has been charged with price gouging for allegedly marking up KN95 masks more than 50% amid the coronavirus pandemic, state Attorney General Xavier Becerra said.
Katrin Golian, doing business as RxAll Pharmacy, has been charged with a count of misdemeanor price gouging after price gouging was prohibited by an executive order from Gov. Gavin Newsom. The order prohibits businesses that did not sell certain emergency-related items prior to the emergency declaration declared on March 4 from charging a price for items that is greater than 50% more than the seller's cost of purchase.
Golian is a licensed pharmacist who operates her independent business, RxAll Pharmacy, on Beverly Drive in Los Angeles, not far from the Beverly Hills Marriott.
A consumer complaint against RxAll Pharmacy prompted an investigation by the California Department of Justice, which found Golian had been purchasing masks for $5 each, and selling them for $10 — 100% more than her cost for the masks, according to the state Attorney General's Office. Officials said she was found to continue marking up the price of masks 100% even after being warned by special agents that she was in violation of the governor's order.
Anyone who believes they are a victim of price gouging can file a complaint with the Office of the Attorney General.
