Express Lane station ordered to pay fine

Nixon filed suit in September against Waddill’s Markets Inc.’s Express Lane station at 2959 N. Grant as part of his investigation into gas prices following Hurricane Katrina. An agreement filed Feb. 23 in Greene County Circuit Court orders Waddill to pay the fine and comply with state consumer protection laws.

The lawsuit alleges the station increased its profit margin by more than 400 percent and charged $3.19 per gallon of gas between Aug. 29 and Sept. 12. Nixon filed suit after the station refused to pay a monetary penalty when first contacted about his findings.

Nine other Missouri stations were asked to pay monetary penalties, and all complied. A total of $6,750 was paid to local schools in the stations’ communities.

Nixon launched the investigation into retail gasoline prices Aug. 31 in the aftermath of Katrina. Investigators analyzed gas pricing data throughout Missouri, reviewed billing and pricing documents from gas stations and examined thousands of gas receipts from state vehicles.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Energy Center and the Missouri Department of Agriculture contributed to the investigation.[[In-content Ad]]