HIXSON, Tenn. - Two brothers from Tennessee who said they tried to capitalize on the coronavirus outbreak by purchasing nearly 18,000 bottles of hand sanitizer are now under investigation by the state attorney general.
According to the New York Times, after 36-year-old Noah Colvin and his brother, Matt, learned of the first U.S. death as a result of COVID-19, they decided to purchase as many hand sanitizer bottles from stores in Chattanooga and parts of Kentucky. The intent was to sell them on Amazon at a higher price, reports FOX News.
They sold the sanitizer for between $8 and $70 each, multiple times higher than what they paid for the product at local stores, the paper reported. The brothers declined to disclose their exact profits, saying only that it was "substantial."
Despite backlash and accusations of profiteering, Noah Colvin defended his methods to The Times, saying there was "crushing overwhelming demand" in areas not carrying the products.
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"I honestly feel like it's a public service," he said. "I'm being paid for my public service."
Then, the brothers claimed they had nowhere to sell the items after a crackdown on price gouging. Then, there were about 17,700 bottles of hand sanitizer sitting in Noah's garage.
On Sunday, WRCB reported Tennessee's Attorney General is investigating the brothers. They have since donated the hand sanitizer to a local church.
"I just want to make clear that donating the sanitizers does not mean they are off the hook legally. If evidence establishes they engaged in price gouging we will seek appropriate penalties," Samantha Fisher of the Tennessee Attorney General's office told WRCB.
It's unclear if the Colvin brothers will face charges.
"At the end of the day," Matt said to WRCB, "we have nothing to hide."
FOX News contributed to this report.