Attorney General Raúl Torrez warned that any attempts at price gouging and defrauding victims of recent wildfires would face swift legal action.
Torrez spoke from Ruidoso, where he was meeting with local officials. He said his department has been receiving reports from Roswell, Alamogordo and even Albuquerque of price increases in hotels
“We have unfortunately seen this kind of shameful conduct in other emergency situations, not only here in New Mexico, but around the country, where people are attracted to communities that are in distress,” Torrez said.
Torrez says his office has initiated civil investigations into several Roswell hotels.
“We can actually demand information from businesses about what their rates were a month ago, and what their rates were last week and today, and we will ask for justification for any increases in those types of practices that have been engaged in,” he said. “If the businesses in these communities think they can justify the practice, they’ll certainly have the right to contest the findings that we have, and they’ll have the opportunity to make a case in front of a jury of their peers.”