Two men who hoarded more than 17,700 bottles of hand sanitizer to sell during the coronavirus epidemic have been ordered to donate them all to charity.

According to an article in the New York Times, siblings Matt and Noah Colvin, who both hail from the town of Hixson in Tennesee, concocted a scheme in which they drove more than 1,300 miles to every store they could find, buying large supplies of hand sanitizer to sell on Amazon at an extortionate rate; listing the products on their online store for between $8 and $70.

However, the Colvin brothers' plan hit a snag when Amazon decided to crack down on the price gouging of critical supplies during the coronavirus crisis, leaving them with a huge stock of useless hygiene products taking up space at their home.

Legally, the state Attorney General’s Office can impose civil penalties against price gougers during a time of national emergency, and when Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery heard about the Colvin's hoarding, he ordered them to donate their supplies to charity.

In an official statement, Slatery said: "We will not tolerate price gouging in this time of exceptional need, and we will take aggressive action to stop it. During this pandemic, we ask that you report suspicious activity to the Division of Consumer Affairs and refrain from threatening or hostile communication with individuals or businesses you may suspect are price gouging."

Meanwhile, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron added: "This is a time where we have to focus on helping our neighbors, not profiting from them. We’re not going to tolerate selfish actions that put the health of Kentuckians at risk, and I’m grateful for Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery’s partnership in bringing an end to this harmful scheme."

Two men who hoarded more than 17,700 bottles of hand sanitizer to sell during the coronavirus epidemic have been ordered to donate them all to charity.

According to an article in the New York Times, siblings Matt and Noah Colvin, who both hail from the town of Hixson in Tennesee, concocted a scheme in which they drove more than 1,300 miles to every store they could find, buying large supplies of hand sanitizer to sell on Amazon at an extortionate rate; listing the products on their online store for between $8 and $70.

However, the Colvin brothers' plan hit a snag when Amazon decided to crack down on the price gouging of critical supplies during the coronavirus crisis, leaving them with a huge stock of useless hygiene products taking up space at their home.

Legally, the state Attorney General’s Office can impose civil penalties against price gougers during a time of national emergency, and when Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery heard about the Colvin's hoarding, he ordered them to donate their supplies to charity.

In an official statement, Slatery said: "We will not tolerate price gouging in this time of exceptional need, and we will take aggressive action to stop it. During this pandemic, we ask that you report suspicious activity to the Division of Consumer Affairs and refrain from threatening or hostile communication with individuals or businesses you may suspect are price gouging."

Meanwhile, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron added: "This is a time where we have to focus on helping our neighbors, not profiting from them. We’re not going to tolerate selfish actions that put the health of Kentuckians at risk, and I’m grateful for Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery’s partnership in bringing an end to this harmful scheme."