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GREENSBORO - Nine more gas stations, including two in Greensboro, have been added to a list under investigation by the N.C. Attorney General's Office for possible price gouging in the wake of Hurricane Ike.

So far, the state has asked sheriffs offices in 12 counties to serve 16 subpoenas on the owners of 23 gas stations suspected of gouging.

In Greensboro, subpoenas have been sent to Charles Holland of the Irving Park BP at 2009 N. Elm St. and Bee Nui Carson of Big Boy's Market at 5401-A W. Market St.

Cashiers at both stations said they could not answer questions Wednesday and the owners would not be available until today.

Refineries in Texas shut down in advance of the hurricane, causing gas prices to jump Friday afternoon. Although prices varied from station to station, typically the cost for regular gas went from about $3.60 a gallon to about $4.20 in a matter of hours. Panic set in, and many drivers waited in line to fill up before the pumps ran dry.

"It's OK to make a profit, but it's not right to run up the costs on consumers at a time like this," N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper said in a statement Wednesday. "Our price-gouging law is in effect, and we're moving quickly to enforce the law."

The gas stations under investigation reportedly charged customers more than $5.35 and as much as $5.99 a gallon for regular gas, said Noelle Talley, spokeswoman for the attorney general's office.

"As of this morning, we've got more than 3,700 reports from consumers," Talley said Wednesday. "They started coming in Friday, and we're still going through them. It's not 3,700 stations - a lot of the complaints are about the same places - but it is 3,700 complaints. Our folks are going through them, one by one, and looking for the ones who are suspected of charging too much."

Owners who are subpoenaed have 10 days to provide their records to the state, including information on what they paid for the gasoline.

"The law applies up the supply chain," Talley said. "We follow it to see if any retailer, distributor or wholesaler has been gouging."

Talley dismissed the notion that Cooper, who is running for re-election, is releasing details of the investigation in dribs and drabs to keep his name in the news.

"Not at all," Talley said. "So far, all the information we get is from consumers. Naturally, they're telling us about retailers. Then we go to the retailer, and that might lead to a distributor or a wholesaler. It takes a lot of legwork."

Contact Jeff Mills at 373-7024 or jeff.mills@news-record.com