Rhode Island General Laws Title 6. Commercial Law--General Regulatory Provisions § 6-14-13. Penalty for violations generally

Any person who shall hold, conduct, or carry on any sale of goods, wares, or merchandise under the description of “closing-out sale”; “going-out-of-business sale”; “discontinuance-of-business sale”; “selling out”; “liquidation”; “lost our lease”; “must vacate”; “forced out”; “removal”; or other designation of like meaning; or a sale of goods, wares, and merchandise damaged by fire, smoke, water, or otherwise, contrary to the provisions of this chapter, or who shall violate any of the provisions of this chapter, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall, upon conviction, be fined in the sum of not less than fifty dollars ($50.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500), or shall be imprisoned for not less than ten (10) days nor more than six (6) months, or both, within the discretion of the court. In lieu of, or in addition to, the penalty previously provided in this section, the court may order the defendant to pay to the court a sum not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500) for the purpose of paying for an advertisement, prepared by the department of the attorney general, for placement in Rhode Island newspapers, pointing out the violation(s) of this chapter as presented in the false advertising, provided that the advertisement shall not indicate the name or address of the person convicted under the provisions of this chapter.