MOORHEAD, Minn. (KFGO-AM) - Charges have been filed against a Moorhead man who's accused of running an unlicensed tattoo shop inside his apartment. Prosecutors say 35-year-old Ralph Curiel used a tattooing gun and needles to apply the tattoos at 1515 20th Street South.
Clay County Attorney Brian Melton tells KFGO News that most of Curiel's customers are teenage girls from the Fargo-Moorhead area. “Obviously, this is very serious, the fact that he’s tattooing underage minors and young females inside his apartment,” Melton said. “We expect that we’ll see additional charges beyond the current charges that are out there.”
Melton says word about Curiel's tattoo business was spread on social media. Court documents say Curiel applied the tattoos on the teens' wrists, ankles and abdomens.
So far, Curiel has been charged with six counts, including failure to obtain licenses for tattooing and body piercing.