U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana issued the following announcement on April 16.
Eastern District of Louisiana U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser, sent a letter to hospital executives throughout Southeast Louisiana on April 15, 2020, asking for their assistance in identifying individuals and companies that may have acquired vital medical supplies for the purpose of hoarding or price gouging.
The Department of Justice remains vigilant in detecting, investigating, and prosecuting wrongdoing related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the leadership of Attorney General William Barr, U.S. Attorneys appointed Coronavirus Fraud Coordinators to work with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners to protect the public from scammers who are attempting to prey upon fears. The Department is also committed to preventing hoarding and price gouging for critical supplies during this crisis. To address this, Attorney General Barr created the COVID-19 Hoarding and Price Gouging Task Force. If you think you are a victim of a scam or attempted fraud involving COVID-19, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via email at disaster@leo.gov. Members of the public in the Eastern District of Louisiana are also encouraged to call (504) 680-3000 or email Edward.rivera@usdoj.gov to reach their local Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator, Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Rivera.
“Along with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, we continue to stand ready to enforce the laws of the United States and to address the public safety needs of our community”, said U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser. “Unfortunately, during times of crisis, criminals continue their efforts to victimize the public. However, we are ready for them. During this pandemic, our office remains focused on the prevention, investigation, and prosecution of misconduct related to COVID-19 fraud, including hoarding and price-gouging of critical medical equipment.”
Original source can be found here.