Seven gas stations so far have been subpoenaed by the North Carolina Attorney General's Office that allegedly have charged $5.49 or more for a gallon of gas.

Today's subpoenas will be served on gas stations in Anson, Ashe, Cherokee, Guilford, Montgomery, Stanley and Transylvania counties.

Attorney General Roy Cooper says he expects more subpoenas to be issued later this week after his office received more than 2,800 complaints of price gouging.

The subpoenas require retailers to provide documentation to the Attorney General's Office by September 26 including information on their costs.

If found guilty, gas station operators can be found guilty of a civil penalty and face a fine up to $5,000.

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More than 2,500 gas consumers across North Carolina reported claims of price gouging over the weekend as gas prices skyrocketed in reaction to Hurricane Ike.

Spokeswoman Noelle Talley said Attorney General Roy Cooper's office is expected to send out subpoenas to several North Carolina gas stations throughout the day Monday.

On Friday, Gov. Mike Easley declared a state of "abnormal market disruption" and signed an order allowing Cooper to enforce the state's anti-gouging law.

Cooper was expected to discuss his office's investigation into possible price-gouging Monday afternoon.

AAA officials said the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in North Carolina is up to $4.085 a gallon, more than 50 cents higher that it was last week.

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Televised reports say Cooper would be looking for "unreasonably excessive" prices.

The claims were triggered by gas prices that approached $5 a gallon at some Raleigh gasoline stations as Hurricane Ike bore down on the Texas coast on Friday.

Cooper's moved came after Gov. Mike Easley on Friday declared a state of "abnormal market disruption" and signed an order allowing Cooper to enforce North Carolina's anti-gouging law.

Cooper said Friday the law applies to all levels of the fuel supply chain. His office began taking complaints on Saturday.