Rochester contractor ordered to pay $92K in restitution, penalties

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A local contractor has been ordered to pay back full restitution and penalties after an investigation by the Attorney General’s office. 

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced that his office won a lawsuit for consumers against Brian Robinson. News10NBC tracked down Robinson last year after some of our viewers said he did not show up to plow their driveways.

Schneiderman says Robinson bilked New Yorkers out of over $42,000. Robinson must now pay $42,085 in restitution to consumers and $50,000 in penalties and costs.

An investigation by the Attorney General’s office showed that Robinson defrauded consumers by taking deposits and keeping their money without ever performing the home improvement, snow plowing, and tree removal services he was contracted to do. Robinson is now banned from taking any advance payments, including deposits for materials, until he posts a $100,000 insurance bond.

The court order completely bans Robinson from the home improvement contracting business. The order will apply to Robinson personally and follow him permanently, even if he uses a different business name.

“When New Yorkers hire a contractor, they need to know they’ll get the services they’ve paid for,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “By failing to provide the services promised, this contractor created an unacceptable public safety risk in the wake of extreme weather, while scamming New Yorkers out of their hard earned money. We will keep working to bring fraudulent contractors to justice.”

Consumers who have not already filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s office and believe they may have been defrauded by Brian Robinson, should call the Attorney General’s Consumer Help Line in the Rochester Regional Office at (585) 327-3240 or file an online complaint.