Fill out this form to email this article to a friend
Crist claims gas price-fixing scheme in suit
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published May 12, 2006
TALLAHASSEE - The owners of a Panhandle gas station chain tried to persuade competitors to keep prices above market levels, including two who did set prices artificially high, as part of a price-fixing scheme, Attorney General Charlie Crist alleged Thursday.
In a lawsuit filed in Circuit Court in Okaloosa County, Crist charged that the owners of Phillips Oil and its subsidiary Fill-Ups Food Stores tried to intimidate competitors into matching the prices at the Phillips-owned stations. With the owners of two large chains of stores, Phillips owner Ryan Phillips was unsuccessful at persuading them to go along.
But two competing stations did, the complaint said.
Phillips also owns a wholesale gasoline company that supplies its own stations and competitors.
One of those competitors did raise its prices 15 cents a gallon to match the Fill-Ups price, after Phillips demanded it last year, the complaint said.
Crist, a Republican candidate for governor, is seeking civil penalties in the case.
Officials of Phillips Oil didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
[Last modified May 12, 2006, 00:55:11]
Share your thoughts on this story
|
News
Fifty years ago, they were screwed-up kids sent to the Florida School for Boys to be straightened out. But now they are screwed-up men, scarred by the whippings they endured. Read the story and see a video and portrait gallery.
Print
Email story
Comment
Email editor
