Pope’s Grocery, an Augusta gas station now operating as Smile Grocery, paid Georgia $10,000 in September 2025 to settle allegations it charged customers nearly $9 a gallon for gasoline during Hurricane Helene. The Pope’s Grocery price gouging settlement was announced on September 19, 2025 by Attorney General Chris Carr, resolving a Consumer Protection Division investigation into prices charged at 830 Stevens Creek Road while Georgia was under a statewide emergency declaration.1Georgia Attorney General. Carr Penalizes Hurricane Helene Price Gougers in Augusta and Vidalia
What the Store Did During Helene
Hurricane Helene hit the Augusta area the night of September 26, 2024, knocking out power across the region and leaving only a few gas stations running. Drivers waited in long lines to fuel vehicles and generators.2WJBF. Many Residents in Need of Gas After the Hit of Hurricane Helene Governor Brian Kemp had already declared a state of emergency for all 159 Georgia counties on September 24, 2024, which activated the state’s price gouging protections for motor fuel and other essentials.3Office of Governor Brian P. Kemp. Gov. Kemp Declares State of Emergency, Activates State Operations Center
Customers at Pope’s Grocery reported sharp markups. One wrote on Reddit, “They were price gouging like crazy yesterday, they were charging almost 9 dollars a gallon.” Another said, “For $20 I got barely over 2 gallons.”4Augusta Chronicle. Store Pays State $10,000 in Augusta Gasoline Price Gouging Settlement Those complaints reached the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, which opened its investigation.
Terms of the Settlement
The corporate entity behind the store is RNR 1, LLC, which operated under the Pope’s Grocery name and now does business as Smile Grocery.5Georgia Consumer Protection Division. Accomplishments Augusta-Richmond County licensing records associate the Stevens Creek Road location with an individual named Nilam Patel, who was approved for a new-ownership beer and wine license there under the Smile Grocery name.6Augusta, GA. Commission Meeting Minutes
The Consumer Protection Division concluded that the store violated Georgia’s Fair Business Practices Act by selling gasoline above its pre-emergency prices without any documented increase in its own costs. Under the settlement, the business paid $10,000 to the state and agreed not to raise prices on essential goods during any future state of emergency unless the increase accurately reflects higher supply or transportation costs.1Georgia Attorney General. Carr Penalizes Hurricane Helene Price Gougers in Augusta and Vidalia Attorney General Carr said the enforcement was meant to prevent businesses from “exploiting the crisis” caused by the storm.7WRDW. Augusta Gas Station Fined for Price Gouging During Hurricane Helene
Whether any of the money will reach the drivers who overpaid is not clear from the announcement. The Attorney General’s office described the $10,000 as going to the state and did not mention individual consumer refunds. Georgia’s price gouging settlements have historically mixed civil penalties and consumer restitution on a case-by-case basis.8CSP Daily News. Georgia Fines Gougers
Why $10,000
Georgia’s price gouging law applies only after the Governor declares a state of emergency and identifies which goods are covered. Once active, businesses cannot sell protected goods above pre-emergency prices unless the increase reflects genuine higher costs for new stock or transportation, combined with the retailer’s average markup from the ten days before the declaration.9Georgia Consumer Protection Division. Emergency Price Controls Violations carry fines of $2,000 to $15,000 per violation, enforced by the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division.10Georgia Consumer Protection Division. Price Gouging The $10,000 paid by Smile Grocery sits toward the upper end of that range.
How to Report Price Gouging in Georgia
If you suspect price gouging during a Georgia state of emergency, you can file a complaint with the Consumer Protection Division through the state’s online consumer complaint form or by calling (404) 651-8600 or (800) 869-1123.11WSAV. Georgia Attorney General Warns of Price Gouging, Scams Amid Wildfires The Attorney General’s office represents the state rather than individual consumers, but it uses complaint data to identify patterns and bring enforcement actions like the one against Pope’s Grocery.12Georgia Consumer Protection Division. Consumer Complaint Form