In a recent press conference, San Francisco's City Attorney David Chiu announced a costly fallout for Rodrigo Santos, the engineer involved in a complex fraud scheme that targeted the city. Chiu revealed that a settlement agreement has been reached for $1.425 million with Santos, Albert Urrutia, and their construction engineering firm, Santos & Urrutia Inc. As part of the settlement, Santos will also be barred from regaining his engineering license for five years, putting a substantial pause on his professional operations.
The legal action traces back to a 2018 lawsuit against Santos and his associates by the City Attorney's Office. They were accused of having intentionally submitted fraudulent plans and executing unpermitted excavation work, which defrauded the city and endangered public safety. Chiu stated that Santos "defrauded his clients and the City," emphasizing that the infractions led to significant profit at the expense of legal conduct and safety. According to the San Francisco City Attorney's Office, the illegal activities gave Santos and his firm an unfair edge in the competitive construction landscape of San Francisco.
Throughout the investigation, it was unearthed that Santos had cleverly instructed his clients to sign blank checks supposedly destined for City Departments. These checks were later manipulated, altering the payee and amount, before being deposited directly into Santos' personal account, a deceitful act involving over 200 checks across three years. Beyond financial fraud, the situation involved unlicensed contractors and phony and unsafe construction practices.
The properties in the lawsuit were situated in a smattering of city addresses, each tied to falsified documents and illicit construction activities. Among the other defendants, one was a contractor whose license had been revoked, yet continued to conspire with Santos to conduct major projects, posing considerable risks to workers and the community. The City Attorney's Office brought these matters to light with the intent to not simply punish but also to deter similar fraudulent actions by others in the future. This comprehensive pursuit of justice culminated in the FBI's involvement, resulting in Santos's pleading guilty to bribery and fraud. He was subsequently sentenced to 30 months of incarceration in August 2023.
The City Attorney's team, comprising diligent and committed individuals, spent years unraveling the fraudulent web woven by Santos and his associates. Representatives from the City Attorney's office, including Frances Arnold, Jennifer Choi, and others, were pivotal in this exhaustive process. The final civil trial against Kevin O’Connor, a client of Santos and the final defendant in the case, concluded on June 17, 2025, with a decision pending from the court.
