S.F.: Engineering firm, partners to pay $1.4 million in fraud settlement

By Bay City News

City Attorney David Chiu announced a $1.425 million settlement on Thursday with Rodrigo Santos, Albert Urrutia, and their engineering firm Santos & Urrutia Inc., over allegations of fraud, unpermitted construction, and public endangerment.

The settlement resolves a 2018 lawsuit accusing the firm of submitting false plans, forging documents, and performing unauthorized excavations beneath homes to bypass city oversight, a press release noted.

The City Attorney’s Office said the scheme endangered public safety and gave the firm an unfair advantage in the construction industry.

As part of the agreement, Santos is also barred from holding an engineering license for five years.