Three weeks of paid administrative leave for Key West’s three-times-indicted chief building official ended after an administrative hearing at city hall on Thursday, May 8.
City manager Brian L. Barroso placed Ramsingh, who has been indicted on nine felony counts, on unpaid, indefinite suspension for a criminal act.
Ramsingh has been indicted on a first-degree felony charge of “organized fraud,” which carries a maximum prison sentence of 30 years if convicted. He also faces eight felony counts of fraud stemming from the alleged alteration or falsification of city building permits and one count of obstructing justice by allegedly deleting text messages that were requested as part of a criminal investigation.
“As a result of your multiple felony indictments, and the evidence that appears to represent a violation of the numerous city policies and procedures described herein, the city cannot take the risk of allowing you to operate in any capacity as its chief building official,” Barroso writes. “Your indefinite suspension without pay will remain in effect until the city’s administrative investigation has concluded and/or a decision has been reached concerning the appropriate action to be taken.”
Raj Ramsingh did not attend the employment hearing at city hall, but his attorney provided a written statement on his behalf, according to the six-page letter that city manager Brian L. Barroso sent to Ramsingh via certified mail following the hearing on May 8 and notifying him of the unpaid indefinite suspension.
“I have reviewed the information and claims presented in the letter from your attorney,” Barroso writes. “One of the claims is that if the city moves forward with terminating your employment, it will represent unlawful retaliation in response to some type of discrimination complaint(s) that you claim to have made with the city prior to your initial arrest on April 15, 2025. The city asked you to provide documentation in support of your claim, but you failed to respond or provide the requested documentation. Contrary to your claim, there is no evidence that you ever submitted or made any type of discrimination complaint with the city during the course of your employment as the chief building official. Accordingly, any employment action taken by the city against you in connection with the issues described in this letter, including termination, would be lawful, legitimate and non-discriminatory….”
“This decision (to place Ramsingh on unpaid, indefinite suspension for a criminal act) is based on the evidence that you may have engaged in egregious misconduct…,” the letter states. It goes on to detail the charges in each of Ramsingh’s three indictments, and match those to the specific city policies those acts violate.
The letter points to discovery documents released by the state attorney’s office that shows that Ramsingh allegedly owned and operated his own construction company, Stryker-Avery Homes, while also working as the city’s chief building official. In addition, the evidence alleges that Ramsingh used his city position to bypass the city’s permitting and review processes for his own gain and for that of his friends, clients and other influential people in town.
Raj Ramsingh’s unpaid suspension comes nearly two weeks after a Key West city commission vote to terminate the employment of his brother, former city attorney Ron Ramsingh, without cause. The without cause specification entitled Ron Ramsingh to a $221,00 payout.
Ron Ramsingh has been twice indicted on felony charges of obstructing justice by deleting text messages being sought in a criminal investigation and official misconduct for allegedly “interfering with the reporting of a felony committed by his brother,” the indictment states.
