Key West officials indicted in evidence-tampering case over deleted texts

Three of Key West’s most powerful city officials were taken into custody after prosecutors said they deleted subpoenaed text messages from city-issued phones, an allegation that struck at the heart of trust in how City Hall handles code enforcement, permitting and legal matters. The arrests of City Attorney Ron Ramsingh, Chief Building Official Raj Ramsingh and Code Compliance Director Jim Young came after a months-long investigation and immediately raised questions about records that may have been compromised inside one of Monroe County’s most closely watched local-government scandals.

Authorities said the case centered on messages exchanged in June 2024 and later deleted between Aug. 23 and Sept. 16, 2024, during the same period surrounding the firing of former city manager Al Childress. Prosecutors said the deleted texts were on city-issued cell phones and had been subpoenaed as part of an ongoing investigation into official misconduct. All three men were charged with third-degree felony tampering with evidence. Ron Ramsingh also faced two additional counts tied to the alleged illegal interception and disclosure of electronic communications.

The Monroe County State Attorney’s Office said the investigation was still active after the arrests, and the case was built with help from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Bond was set at $75,000 for Ron Ramsingh and $25,000 each for Raj Ramsingh and Jim Young. Court and booking records later showed all three were released on those amounts.

The fallout extended far beyond the criminal charges. Ron Ramsingh’s office was central to the city’s day-to-day machinery, since the city attorney’s office advises the Key West City Commission and staff, reviews and approves agenda items, prosecutes municipal ordinance violations and handles other legal work in Monroe County courts. That made the indictment especially disruptive for residents and property owners who depend on code enforcement decisions, building reviews and city legal action to move projects and disputes forward.

The scandal also fit into a wider picture of turmoil at City Hall. A 29-page grand jury report from a 16-member panel described “a pervasive culture of negligence, nepotism, manipulation and abdication of duty at the highest levels of city leadership.” Key West later terminated Ron Ramsingh’s employment contract without cause on April 24, 2025, and Jim Young submitted retirement paperwork the next day. Raj Ramsingh later faced seven additional felony charges, while Ron Ramsingh faced another felony count.

City officials said the city was cooperating and would continue serving residents, but the damage to confidence was immediate. Key West’s own website now highlights the grand jury report and the city’s response, underscoring how deeply the case has reshaped the public view of operations at City Hall.