COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The North Carolina attorney general has issues subpoenas for 10 more gas stations accused of price gouging.

Attorney General Roy Cooper is demanding information from stations in Buncombe, Craven, Cumberland, Guilford, Iredell, McDowell, Montgomery and Yadkin counties the reportedly charged between $5.35 and $5.99 for gasoline last week.

"It's okay to make a profit, but it's not right to run up the costs on consumers at a time like this," said Cooper. "Our price gouging law is in effect, and we're moving quickly to enforce the law."

The subpoenas went out Wednesday to local sheriffs' offices to be served on the gas stations' owners. Retailers have 10 days to provide documentation to the Attorney General's Office, including information on their costs.

On Monday, Cooper's office sent seven subpoenas to owners of 14 gas stations in Anson, Ashe, Cherokee, Guilford, Montgomery, Stanley and Transylvania counties.

"We're investigating these cases carefully and we'll take legal action if we find evidence that any retailer, distributor or wholesaler has gouged consumers," Cooper said.

Price gouging-or charging unreasonably excessive prices in times of crisis-violates North Carolina law. On Friday, the law against price gouging was triggered by the declaration of an abnormal market disruption due to Hurricane Ike’s landfall in Texas.

Cooper's office has received more than 3,700 reports of possible gas price gouging from consumers since Friday.

S.C. Agents Fan Out Across State

South Carolina's attorney general has dispatched agents across the state to investigate allegations of gas price gouging.

Spokesman Mark Plowden said Wednesday that Attorney General Henry McMaster has sent agents to stations and suppliers to determine when decisions were made to change prices, and by how much.

Gas prices shot up shortly before Hurricane Ike struck the Texas coastline and its oil refineries. State law allowed McMaster to criminally investigate the claims after President Bush declared a state of emergency last week.

As of Wednesday, McMaster's office has issued 12 subpoenas to question retailers, and Plowden says more subpoenas are possible.

The average price Wednesday for a gallon of regular gas $4.075 in South Carolina, up from $3.522 a month ago and $2.631 a year ago.