RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has filed a petition against a Richmond market for allegedly failing to comply with a price gouging investigation stemming from January's water crisis.
The petition, filed Monday in Richmond Circuit Court, seeks to compel Manchester Market on Hull Street to comply with a civil investigation demand (CID) in connection with consumer complaints about water pricing during the emergency.
Miyares' office alleges the market charged "unconscionable prices" for bottled water during the state of emergency and failed to respond to requests for information.
The manager of Manchester Market disputes these claims, stating they did not raise prices during the water crisis.
For residents in the Manchester neighborhood, small markets like this one are crucial, as the area lacks sufficient grocery options.
"One thing about Manchester is there's no grocery stores really," a neighborhood resident said.
During a visit to Manchester Market on Monday, the manager told CBS 6 they sent three emails to the Attorney General's office on April 10 with the requested evidence included.
The manager said they have not yet received a response from the Attorney General's office.
When asked about the market's claims, Attorney General's Office spokesperson Shaun Kenney provided the following statement:
Based on complaints received, an Office of the Attorney General (OAG) investigator sent letters on January 27, 2025, and then again on February 10, 2025. The letters directed the recipient to contact the OAG investigator, and provided his contact information at the OAG. When the Office received no response to any of the letters, we issued our CID back on March 21, 2025. The CID instructed the recipients to submit the documentation to the Office of the Attorney General by April 16, 2025, and provided contact information for inquiries. No response was ever sent to our Office. The email address you provided is for an employee of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS). VDACS is not involved with this investigation.
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