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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOIG No. 26-11 Coral Bay Club Joseph M. Centorino, Inspector General Page 1 of 2 MEMORANDUM To: File From: Dylan Hughes, Investigator Re: Inquiry regarding Coral Bay Club, 80 South Shore Drive, Miami Beach, Florida OIG No. 26-11 Date: July 14, 2026 SUMMARY The Miami Beach Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has concluded an inquiry after receiving complaints alleging misconduct by Building Department employee James Bartell. The allegations included selective enforcement, fabricating violations, conflicts of interest, and physical and verbal aggression. It was alleged that Bartell was romantically involved with Coral Bay Club unit owner Patricia DoCampo and used his influence to target residents involved in disputes with her and other Coral Bay Club unit owners. The OIG found the allegations against James Bartell to be unfounded. Bartell was not the inspector who conducted the visits, issued the violations, or participated in the interactions described in the complaints. Additionally, there was no evidence of a personal relationship between Bartell and DoCampo. Records showed that Bartell had minimal, unrelated inspection activity at the property and was not present during the incidents in question. The OIG’s inquiry was limited to determining whether Bartell used his position with the City Building Department to favor Coral Bay Club resident Patricia DoCampo or any other resident of the condominium. The OIG made no findings regarding any individual. THE PETITION The OIG received information on March 12, 2026, via email from a Coral Bay Club unit owner. The email stated that a petition was circulated among the owners of the Coral Bay Club at 80 S. Shore Drive, Miami Beach, accusing a City of Miami Beach employee of abuse of power. The unit owner asked for a determination of whether the allegations were accurate. The petition was circulated by Coral Bay Club Homeowners’ Association President Ora Bauer. It alleges that Patricia DoCampo, who co-owns unit 403, has a boyfriend working as an inspector for the City of Miami Beach Building Department. The petition alleges that this relationship has resulted in favoritism toward unit 403, including selective enforcement of city violations and exemptions that financially harm other owners. It states that DoCampo’s complaints are addressed quickly against the association and other owners, while violations involving unit 403 are overlooked or handled differently. The petition describes these actions as malicious and selective enforcement and notes that the association is pursuing legal action. Docusign Envelope ID: F25023E2-BB1A-86B9-82F3-6CC00A8F5DEB Page 2 of 4 COMPLAINT FROM DR. ORA BAUER Before meeting with the Inspector General, Ora Bauer sent an email to the OIG on March 16, 2026, stating that “11 units are being harassed by unit 403’s owner, Patricia Do Campo, and her boyfriend, Building Dept. inspector, James Bartell.” The email included four attachments: an investigation request to the OIG; 34 signed copies of the petition mentioned above; a twenty-page document detailing complaints Bauer submitted to the Building Department about units 410 and 207 in 2020 and 2021; and a four-page document prepared by Bauer documenting water leak problems at unit 403, owned by Mabel Casanelli and Patricia DoCampo. These attachments collectively identify James Bartell as the employee accused of misconduct. Ms. Bauer’s request for investigation dated March 16, 2026, states that, “Inspector James Bartell’s girlfriend is Patricia DoCampo.” Bauer further states that, For several years, Patricia DoCampo has been using her boyfriend, James Bartell and the building department, to issue city violations to those who she doesn't like or have disagreements with. As she gets older, her anger increases and so do her complaints. James Bartell is her tool to inflict physical and financial harm to her enemies. In the case of unit 410, Mr. Bartell used physical assault to enter the unit, and I witnessed the altercation. The city refused to show us the body cam and covered it up. He also fabricated violations that later were shown to be false. In a document dated March 10, 2021, provided to the OIG by Ms. Bauer regarding unit 410, she states that on June 25, 2020, I dared to ask Mr. Bartell to remove his car from the disabled parking space, since the landscapers were trimming the trees. He refused angrily, and when I took his car's photo, for insurance purpose, he attacked me and my phone. Furthermore, I find Mr. Bartell's behavior not just abusive, but also unethical and unprofessional. On 01/28/2021, he parked again in the disabled parking space, picking his girlfriend. One hour later, he came again to inspect our completed hallways permit, demanding re-inspection. Ms. Bauer included a photograph of a BMW with a Florida license plate and a male individual dressed in civilian clothes including shorts, t-shirt, flip flops, and baseball hat, whom she alleges is Bartell, standing next to the vehicle. Handwritten below the photograph states, 403 boyfriend parked in our condo, disabled parking space, without disabled tag, for long period of time. When asked to move, he attacked me and my phone to prevent me from taking this photo. On April 26, 2026, Ms. Bauer sent an email to the OIG with five photos attached. In the email, she states, Attached are several photos captured by our condo's security cameras in two different days. These photos are of Patricia DoCampo (who issued the complaints) and her boyfriend. Does the boyfriend look very similar to Ibrahim Alvarez, chief building inspector? Docusign Envelope ID: F25023E2-BB1A-86B9-82F3-6CC00A8F5DEB Page 3 of 4 OIG INQUIRY The OIG’s inquiry included reviewing City Energov application documentation for 80 South Shore Drive, analyzing body camera footage, emails, vehicle registration records, and city vehicle GPS data. James Bartell and Patricia DoCampo voluntarily gave interviews to the OIG. Statement of Patricia DoCampo Patricia DoCampo denied during an interview with the OIG that she had no knowledge of James Bartell, nor any romantic relationship with him or any City Inspector alleged to be her boyfriend. She said she had never met him, never spoken to him, and had never even heard his name before this allegation became known to her. DoCampo described the claim that Bartell was her boyfriend as completely made up, adding that she had been in a long-term relationship with a man named Gregory, who had no connection to the City and was the person in the photos shown to her that allegedly depicted James Bartell (Photo dated 2020) and Ibrahim Alvarez (Photos dated 2026). She called the allegations involving Bartell baseless and retaliatory, stemming from longstanding disputes with the Coral Bay Club Association President, Ora Bauer. Statement of James Bartell James Bartell has been employed by the City of Miami Beach since May 2019 and is currently a Building Operations Manager and Inspector. During his interview with the OIG, he stated that his only involvement at 80 S. Shore Drive was limited to two permit-related inspections, which he identified from the City’s permit records. He could not recall them in detail due to the large number of inspections he has performed citywide since 2020. He stated that he has never visited the Coral Bay Club outside of his official duties and has no personal or social connections to any resident there. Bartell strongly denied knowing or ever meeting Patricia DoCampo, the resident alleged to be his girlfriend, and denied taking or being asked to take any enforcement actions on her behalf. He also said he was not involved in and had no knowledge of the alleged misconduct claimed by Ms. Bauer, including allegations of forced entry, fabricated violations, or favoritism toward unit 403. Bartell confirmed that all Code Compliance Officers and Building Inspectors wear a uniform that includes a badge and name tag. Evidence Review A review of documents on the City’s Energov application revealed two inspections conducted by James Bartell at the Coral Bay Club, 80 S. Shore Drive, Miami Beach. No other activities involving Bartell were identified at that location. On January 28, 2021, Bartell performed a Sound Proofing/Underlayment/Coating Inspection for permit number BC2014527 at the Coral Bay Club common area, involving carpet removal and laminated floor installation on the 2nd through 5th floors. On November 22, 2021, Bartell completed a Building Final Inspection for permit number BC2014557 at Coral Bay Club, Unit 407, covering mold remediation, drywall removal and installation, and water heater replacement. The OIG requested body camera recordings from the Building Department for the inspection at Coral Bay Club, Unit 410, which Ora Bauer identified as occurring on February 11, 2020. Bauer alleges that Bartell used “physical assault to enter the unit.” The OIG was provided with a body camera recording of then Code Compliance Officer Kevin Darley entering Coral Bay Club, placing a Notice of Violation on the door of Unit 410, photographing the notice, and leaving the building. A review of Energov records shows that 10 photographs of the inspection of unit 410 were taken on February 3, 2020, between 12:28 pm and 12:36 pm. The photos depict various areas of the unit, including the kitchen, A/C closet, washer and dryer, walls with drywall removed, and ceiling damage in the bathroom. They were uploaded into the Energov system on February 11, 2020, by then Building Code Compliance Officer Kevin Darley. Building Department Senior Special Docusign Envelope ID: F25023E2-BB1A-86B9-82F3-6CC00A8F5DEB Page 4 of 4 Projects Manager Victor Armendariz told the OIG that he reviewed all the videos for Darley on February 3, 2020, and none contained recordings for 80 S Shore Drive. A screenshot of the body camera log provided by Armendariz showed five recordings for Darley on February 3, 2020, with the first at 9:21 am and the last at 12:22 pm. The final recording was from a single-family residence. There were no body camera recordings for James Bartell at the Coral Bay Club on February 3, 2020, or February 11, 2020. There was no GPS data from any City vehicles placing James Bartell at the Coral Bay Club on the dates of these inspections. At the time of the incident in 2020, the alleged physical assault was not reported to the Miami Beach Police Department. The photograph taken on June 25, 2020, of the BMW and the individual alleged to be James Bartell was identified by Patricia DoCampo as her boyfriend, Gregory Allegaert. The BMW shown in the photograph is registered to Mr. Allegaert. Gregory Allegaert does not work for the City of Miami Beach in any capacity. The five photographs provided by Ora Bauer on April 26, 2026, which are believed to resemble Chief Building Inspector Ibrahim Alvarez, were also identified by Patricia DoCampo as Gregory Allegaert. CONCLUSION The Miami Beach Office of the Inspector General’s inquiry found no evidence to support the allegations of misconduct, selective enforcement, or conflicts of interest involving Building Department employee James Bartell and Coral Bay Club resident Patricia DoCampo. The inquiry determined that Bartell’s involvement at the property was limited, unrelated to the incidents described, and that allegations of a personal relationship between Bartell and DoCampo were unfounded. There are no findings regarding any individual named in this report. Respectfully submitted, __________________________________ _______ Joseph M. Centorino, Inspector General Date __________________________________ _______ Dylan Hughes, Investigator Date cc: Eric Carpenter, City Manager Maria Hernandez, Assistant City Manager Carlos Diaz, Building Department Interim Director James Bartell, Building Operations Manager and Inspector Dr. Ora Bauer, Complainant Patricia DoCampo, Unit Owner, Coral Bay Club OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL, City of Miami Beach 1130 Washington Avenue, 6th Floor, Miami Beach, FL 33139 Tel: 305.673.7020 • Hotline: 786.897.1111 Email: CityofMiamiBeachOIG@miamibeachfl.gov Website: www.mbinspectorgeneral.com Docusign Envelope ID: F25023E2-BB1A-86B9-82F3-6CC00A8F5DEB 7/14/2026 | 1:45 PM EDT 7/14/2026 | 1:56 PM EDT