In what authorities are calling the first coronavirus-related prosecution, on Friday a New York retailer was charged with hoarding tons of protective masks, surgical gowns and hand sanitizer and selling the items at over-inflated prices.
Amardeep "Bobby" Singh, the owner of the store has been accused of violating the Defense Production Act of 1950 after officials found the stockpile of personal protective gear in his Long Island warehouse, according to prosecutors.
U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue said, "Singh’s amassing of critical personal protective equipment during a public health crisis and reselling at huge markups places him squarely in the cross-hairs of law enforcement armed with the Defense Production Act."
Even though Singh's attorney Bradley Gerstman doesn't exactly deny the accusation, he says, "If selling PPE goods is improper or criminal, then a lot of people need to go to jail," and that "The Defense Production Act is wildly vague, and I don’t think this would pass muster on any appellate level. I think this statute would be struck down as null and void."
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