Metro

Attorney general Schneiderman to target contractor fraud

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman plans to roll out a new initiative to crack down on fraud by state and local government contractors.

An official in Schneiderman’s office tells The Associated Press the announcement is planned in New York City at 11 a.m. Thursday. The official spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the official wasn’t authorized to speak ahead of the official announcement.

The official says that by policing the billions of dollars spent annually with contractors, Schneiderman hopes to recover millions of dollars from those that are unscrupulous.

The focus of the new unit will include public pension fund fraud and large-scale tax schemes.

With financial recoveries, it is expected to pay for itself.