BREAKING: FORMER KEY WEST BUILDING OFFICIAL, LOCAL CONTRACTOR INDICTED ON NEW CORRUPTION CHARGES
Grand jury issues eight-count superseding indictment against former Chief Building Official Raj Ramsingh and contractor Max Heller following joint state–federal probe.
A Monroe County grand jury has returned an eight-count superseding indictment against former Key West Chief Building Official Rajindhar “Raj” Ramsingh and local contractor Max Yael Heller, alleging a conspiracy to falsify and manipulate city building-permit records between 2021 and 2024.
The new indictments, announced Tuesday by the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office in cooperation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, charge both men with four counts of conspiracy to commit official misconduct. Ramsingh faces four additional counts of official misconduct stemming from actions he allegedly took while serving as the city’s top building official.
Prosecutors allege Ramsingh and Heller conspired to alter or conceal official permitting records to benefit projects at :
1504 18th Street
510 Fleming Street
1114 Olivia Street
1101 Simonton Street
The indictment alleges their actions potentially gave unlawful advantages to MTM Building and Roofing, Strykker-Avery Homes LLC (owned by Ramsingh), and other property owners.
No new properties were outlined in the new charges, however the investigation remains ongoing into other properties throughout the Island City.
The superseding indictment replaces earlier charges filed against Ramsingh, incorporating new evidence developed through the joint state–federal investigation.
Circuit Judge Mark Wilson on Tuesday signed a Capias — a court-issued arrest warrant — for Heller on four counts of conspiracy to commit official misconduct under Florida Statutes 838.022 and 777.04(3). Bond was set at $100,000. No new warrant was issued for Ramsingh, who remains under the court’s jurisdiction on earlier charges.
“This case underscores the importance of transparency, honesty, and accountability in public office,” said State Attorney Dennis Ward. “When a public official abuses their position for personal or financial gain, it erodes the community’s faith in government.”
Chief Assistant State Attorney Joseph Mansfield praised the partnership with the FBI, calling it a model for future anti-corruption efforts. “The residents of Key West deserve confidence that their government operates fairly and lawfully,” Mansfield said.
The case was presented to the grand jury by Major Crimes Prosecutor Colleen Dunne, who will also serve as lead prosecutor at trial.
PART OF BROADER “BUBBA BOZO TRIO” CORRUPTION PROBE
The new indictment marks the latest development in a widening public corruption investigation that has rocked City Hall since the spring of 2024.
Ramsingh — along with his brother, former City Attoreny Ron Ramsingh and former Code Enforcement Director Jim Young — was previously implicated in what insiders dubbed the “Bubba Bozo Trio” scandal. That case, built on a 2025 Monroe County Grand Jury report, detailed systemic manipulation of city permitting and enforcement systems, insider favoritism, and interference in the firing of former City Manager Al Childress, who had sought to reform City Hall.
To date, Ron and Raj Ramsingh and Jim Young have faced a combined 21 felony counts ranging from official misconduct to falsifying public records. Tuesday’s superseding indictment brings Raj Ramsingh’s total to eight felony counts, four of which now overlap with the new conspiracy charges against Heller.
The scandal has spurred a wave of reform efforts by the Key West City Commission, including proposed ordinances to create an Independent Inspector General, establish Whistleblower Protections, and authorize a targeted audit of building permits dating back to 2020.
Those measures — all recommended by the grand jury — remain in progress as the city struggles to restore public trust following the most extensive corruption investigation in recent history.
This is an evolving story. Watch this space.