DLCA Turns to Court to Force Fuel Records From Gas Stations as Transparency Fight Escalates

The V.I. Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs has intensified its push for fuel pricing transparency in the Virgin Islands by asking the Superior Court to force at least two gas stations to turn over years of records tied to fuel costs, pricing, and sales, after what the department says was a prolonged failure to comply with administrative subpoenas.

The latest legal action, taken last week, marks a deeper phase in the government’s effort to understand how fuel is priced in the territory. The issue has been building for years, especially as consumers and lawmakers questioned why prices in some districts remained high even when broader market prices had fallen.

According to information previously disclosed by DLCA, service station owners on St. Thomas and St. John largely ignored subpoenas issued as part of the department’s fuel price study. Those subpoenas required operators to provide bills of lading and contracts tied to the importation, retail sale, and transportation of regular, premium, and diesel gasoline dating back to May 1, 2022. Commissioner Nathalie Hodge said last November that the records are critical to the department’s ongoing effort to examine fuel pricing.

After that lack of response, the Department of Justice stepped in. The first round of civil complaints was filed in January. Of the four cases filed then, one has already ended in the agency’s favor, with Ali Baba Gas Station & Grocery ordered by the court to comply with DLCA’s subpoena. Three other matters remain unresolved.