Unsealed criminal charges against Peter Schurman allege identity theft and permit fraud
SAN FRANCISCO (July 22, 2020) — City Attorney Dennis Herrera released the following statement today after criminal charges were unsealed against Peter Schurman:
“I’m pleased that our investigation into this web of permit fraud in construction has led to criminal charges against Mr. Schurman. Not only was he falsifying inspection records, but he was stealing the identities of innocent engineers to use as part of his scheme. Our office works hard to ensure that those who break that law are held accountable. No matter how elaborate the fraud is, we will unravel it. Our team developed a detailed case on the role Mr. Schurman played in a larger scheme of forged documents and lying to City agencies that undermined public safety and defrauded clients. Based on that work, the FBI was able to quickly put together a case against Mr. Schurman. I want to commend the U.S. Attorney’s Office for taking criminal action against Mr. Schurman and thank the investigators and attorneys in our office for their tireless work on this investigation.”
Case Background
The criminal investigation of Schurman was prompted by the civil enforcement action brought by Herrera in an amended civil lawsuit unsealed in March 2020. That lawsuit alleged a scheme of permit and other fraud that involved Santos & Urrutia Associates Inc., its principals, and several clients, contractors, and engineering technician Schurman.
The civil case is: City and County of San Francisco et al. v. Santos & Urrutia Associates Inc. et al., San Francisco Superior Court case number CGC-18-569923, filed Sept. 20, 2018. Additional information about from the case is available on the City Attorney’s website at: sfcityattorney.org.