World News | Illinois businessman convicted of price gouging N95 masks in early weeks of pandemic

CHICAGO, July 2 (AP) — An Illinois businessman was convicted of price gouging for selling N95 masks during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Krikor Topouzian, 62, of Winnetka was convicted Thursday after a judge in Chicago federal court, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. He could face up to a year in prison when sentenced on October 10.

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Topzian owned a medical supply company in Skokie, Illinois, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors allege he bought about 80,000 N95 masks in March and April 2020 for about $5 each and then sold them for about $20 each.

Prosecutors said he bragged about earning as much as $80,000 a day and made $1 million in a matter of weeks.

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The masks have been labeled a “scarce material” during the pandemic as part of the Defense Production Act.

Topzian’s attorneys, listed in online court records as Thomas More Leinenweber and Matthew John McQuaid, did not immediately respond to requests for comment Sunday. Email for comment on this case. (Associated Press)

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