By MATT CHANDLER
mchandler@bizjournals.com | 716-541-1654

State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman was in Buffalo Tuesday, his first trip to the Queen City since taking office Jan. 1.

The former Democratic state senator from Manhattan, who took over from newly elected Gov. Andrew Cuomo as the state's top lawyer, announced during the visit that his office has filed a lawsuit against Extreme Snowplow. The local company is alleged to have taken as much as $100,000 from 400 or more people with false promises of delivering snowplowing services.

"They took advantage of consumers, and that kind of scam is becoming more common of getting people to sign up and advance money," Schneiderman said.

Despite taking advance payments, the company, according to the attorney general, "didn't help anyone when 39 inches of snow fell in December." Among the alleged victims was a mother whose 10-year-old son was on life support. She paid for the services to assure she would be able to get out in an emergency.

Schneiderman said his office did a "thorough investigation" and intends to get restitution for those who lost money in the scam.

Using the case as an example of how his office intends to pursue justice in both the public and private sectors, he said he wants Western New Yorkers to have confidence in his office and that it will hold those who commit these types of crimes accountable.

"This is not a matter of being an abusive ‘Sheriff of Wall Street' or anything like that," he said, referring to the nickname of former Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. "This is a matter of sending the message that there is one set of rules for everyone, and no one is above the law."

Schneiderman said he learned a few things as he traveled the state campaigning for attorney general, and he intends to use what he learned to better serve New Yorkers.

"In every part of the state, I heard essentially the same two concerns: New Yorkers have lost confidence in state government," he said. "(In) the essential institutions in the public sector New Yorkers have lost confidence and some of the essential institutions of the private sector. I certainly intend to focus my agenda on restoring public confidence in these institutions."

He also discussed the growing divide between taxpayers and the government and said restoring trust and confidence is high on his list of priorities.

"I am acutely aware that people's concerns are not always met by the state government," he said. "This is our largest regional office and I plan to spend time here."

He also addressed the case of Clarence-based AllCare Dental, a company that abruptly shuttered its doors in December, leaving potentially thousands of customers with prepaid medical care which they never received.

Schneiderman said given that there is an ongoing investigation into the company, there wasn't much he could say. He did compare the case to that of Extreme Snowplow, saying schemes to get consumers to pay money in advance of receiving services is a common occurrence during tough economic times.

"We are concerned and we want to make sure people are able to get their (medical) records," he said, adding that the current investigation covers multiple states.