Huron Contractor Sentenced for Defrauding Customers

South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announced that Huron contractor Julio Morales-Ortiz has been sentenced for defrauding seven customers out of more than $36,000. Morales-Ortiz pleaded guilty in Beadle County Circuit Court to theft by deception, receiving a suspended 10-year prison sentence, probation, and jail time.

By Christal Blue September 12, 2025 11:29 am

Huron contractor fraud case Julio Morales-Ortiz sentencing South Dakota contractor scam Attorney General Marty Jackley Beadle County Circuit Court theft construction fraud South Dakota theft by deception conviction customer restitution $36,450 Consumer Protection Division investigation Huron Police contractor fraud — Metro Services

HURON, S.D. (MITCHELLNOW) Attorney General Marty Jackley says a Huron contractor has been sentenced for defrauding seven customers out of more than $36,000. Julio Morales-Ortiz pleaded guilty to theft by deception in Beadle County Circuit Court. He was given a 10-year prison sentence, suspended, along with three years of probation. He was ordered to repay $36,450 and serve 15 days in jail. Morales-Ortiz was accused of taking payments for construction work that was never done between 2021 and 2023. The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division and Huron Police Department handled the investigation.

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