MOORHEAD — A Moorhead man has pleaded not guilty to charges he ran an unlicensed tattoo shop.

Prosecutors say 35-year-old Ralph Curiel set up the business in his Moorhead apartment. Most of his customers were teenage girls.

Reports said Curiel’s attorney, Steven Beitelsbacher, tried to persuade a Clay County judge to reduce Curiel’s $2,000 bail. Judge Michelle Lawson denied the request, citing public safety concerns.

Curiel is charged with several counts, including failure to obtain licenses for tattooing and body piercing. He remained in jail Friday.