A Henry County man is facing federal charges after prosecutors said he bought more than 200,000 face masks and sold them at a markup during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Milton “Don” Ayimadu, 22, is accused of violating a federal act that prohibits hoarding and price gouging, according to U.S. Attorney BJay Pak.
The Defense Production Act was activated in March as the novel coronavirus began spreading through the United States. The act outlaws selling scarce items and materials at excessive prices. Personal protective equipment, including face masks, were designated as scarce items.
According to prosecutors, Ayimadu bought hundreds of thousands of masks from abroad while the supply of PPE began to decrease. He purchased the masks at $2.50 each, Pak said. Ayimadu then sold the masks to American customers for $5 apiece, the U.S. Attorney said.
In two months, Ayimadu made over 22,000 transactions, Pak said.
“Ayimadu allegedly saw the unprecedented COVID-19 global pandemic as an opportunity to make a profit,” Pak said. “Desperate to find personal protective equipment during the pandemic, thousands of customers, unfortunately, paid his inflated prices.”
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