BREAKING: Indicted Ex–City Attorney Ron Ramsingh Sues Key West Over Firing, Legal Fees

77-page complaint filed Oct. 17, released Monday by Clerk; case assigned to Judge Tim Koenig.

From left, disgraced former City Attorney Ron Ramsingh, his brother former CBO Raj and longtime Code Enforcement Director Jim Young currently face 21 felony indictments for miscounduct and abuse of power.

Disgraced former City Attorney Ron Ramsingh, already facing three felony counts stemming from a far-reaching City Hall corruption scandal, has filed a 77-page lawsuit against the City of Key West, alleging breach of contract and refusal to cover his mounting legal fees.

The filing, submitted Oct. 17 and released Monday afternoon by the Monroe County Clerk of Courts, was assigned to Circuit Judge Tim Koenig.

Ramsingh’s complaint seeks declaratory relief and reimbursement of attorney fees related to his ongoing criminal and civil cases, arguing that the City violated both his 2023 employment contract and Florida Statute 111.07, which requires local governments to defend employees sued for actions within the scope of their duties.

“The City agreed to defend and indemnify Attorney Ramsingh against any tort, professional liability, or other legal demand arising directly or indirectly from his lawful actions as City Attorney,” the lawsuit quotes from Resolution 23-070, the measure authorizing his contract in April 2023.

The “Bubba Bozo Trio” and the Fall of City Hall

Ramsingh, 51, was fired April 24, 2025, when the City Commission voted 4-3 to terminate him without cause, just days after his indictment on three felony charges — tampering with evidence, illegal interception of communication, and disclosure of intercepted communication.

The indictments stem from a sprawling corruption probe that also ensnared his brother, Rajindhar “Raj” Ramsingh, the City’s former Chief Building Official, and former Code Enforcement Director Jim Young — a trio that state prosecutors and local watchdogs have come to call the “Bubba Bozo Trio.”

A Monroe County grand jury charged the three with a combined 21 felony counts of conspiracy, falsification of records, and official misconduct — alleging they falsified permit records, steered work to favored contractors, and destroyed public documents tied to the 2024 ouster of City Manager Al Childress.

The scandal led to sweeping internal audits, ethics reforms, and a series of personnel changes at 1300 White Street that continue to ripple through City Hall.

The Payout and the Pushback

Because commissioners opted to fire Ramsingh “without cause,” he received roughly $221,000 in severance, equal to about five months’ salary and benefits under his contract.

Before his firing, Ramsingh had attempted to strong-arm the City into continuing to fund his private legal defense in exchange for his promise not to sue the City — an offer that split the dais and drew an unusually sharp rebuke from Commissioner Sam Kaufman, the only elected official to publicly oppose the idea.

“It would set a dangerous precedent to fund the criminal defense of the very attorney accused of betraying the public trust,” Kaufman said at the time.

The City ultimately rejected Ramsingh’s proposal, voting instead to terminate him and pay severance in accordance with his contract.

What’s Next

The full complaint became publicly available Monday following its release by the Clerk of Courts. The City of Key West had not yet filed a response as of Monday evening.

If successful, Ramsingh’s lawsuit could reignite debate over whether taxpayers should once again foot the bill for the legal defense of the man once tasked with protecting City Hall from corruption — and who now stands accused of orchestrating it.

CASE DETAILS

Case Title: Ronald Ramsingh v. City of Key West

Case Number: 2025-CA-001234

Filed: Oct. 17, 2025 — Monroe County Circuit Court

Assigned Judge: Tim Koenig

Length: 77 pages (released Oct. 20 by the Monroe County Clerk of Courts)

This is an evolving story. Watch this space.