Isabel Mercedes Cumming

Inspector General

Isabel Mercedes Cumming is the Inspector General for Baltimore City. Prior to joining the OIG, she worked for six years as the Assistant Inspector General of Investigations for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. There, she oversaw 200 investigations and a team of fourteen. Previously she was the Chief of the Economic Crimes/Special Prosecutions Unit of the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for over seven years. She started one of the first mortgage fraud units in the nation. The Washington Post called her Economic Crimes unit a “shining star.” Prior to working in Prince George’s County, she was with the Economic Crimes Unit of Baltimore City for over four years, handling various white-collar crime cases including identity theft, elder abuse, embezzlement, and arson. For over six years she was an Assistant State Prosecutor with the Maryland State Prosecutor's Office, handling high-profile cases of elected officials throughout Maryland. Her first prosecution was in Baltimore City as part of the team that prosecuted former Comptroller Jacqueline McLean in 1994. Isabel began her legal career at the United States Attorney’s Office as a law clerk. Before embarking on her legal career, she was the Director of Internal Audit for American National Bank in Baltimore for over seven years. She began her career with KPMG Peat Marwick in Baltimore City as an auditor in 1984.

Isabel was named the Certified Fraud Fighter of the Year in 2006 by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and the first Top Fraud Fighter in Maryland in 2003. She was named a Top 100 Women in Maryland three times by the Daily Record and recently a “Leader in Law.” She traveled to Amman, Jordan where she taught White Collar Prosecution to fifty judges and lawyers for the Rule of Law program. She is a Certified Inspector General and a Certified Fraud Examiner. She previously taught the Principles of Fraud Examination at the University of Baltimore and continues to serve on the Dean’s Advisory Committee for the Law School. She earned an undergraduate degree in accounting from James Madison University, a Master's degree in Business Administration, and a Juris Doctorate (law) degree with honors from the University of Baltimore. Isabel is the first female and first Hispanic to be named Inspector General for Baltimore City. Isabel is married with four sons.

Yvonne K. Brooks

Deputy Inspector General

Yvonne Brooks is the Deputy Inspector General for the Baltimore City Office of the Inspector General, where she is responsible for day-to-day operations and administration. Since joining the office in 2018, Yvonne has been instrumental in rebuilding the organization to more effectively and efficiently meet its mission of identifying fraud, waste, and abuse. She has made long-lasting and positive impacts on the office through developing customized internal policies, training, and programs, including creating and implementing a new Whistleblower Retaliation policy and training course.

Prior to joining the Baltimore OIG, Yvonne worked as a senior special agent in the Office of Inspector General for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, where she investigated allegations of fraud, waste, and abuse in one of the nation’s largest public transportation systems. While there, Yvonne also cultivated expertise in procurement fraud. Before delving into inspector general work, Yvonne served as an Assistant State’s Attorney for the State of Maryland, where she secured numerous convictions in cases ranging from felony violence to police misconduct, to white-collar crimes. Among her accomplishments while a prosecutor, Yvonne initiated the investigation that led to one of the largest mortgage fraud cases in Maryland. Yvonne also served the State of Maryland as an Assistant Attorney General, where she investigated potential environmental crimes throughout the state and educated the public about environmental justice issues and awareness. Yvonne was honored as the 2018 Keynote Speaker for the Baltimore Federal Executive Board Annual Federal Women’s Training and Development Program.

Yvonne obtained her Juris Doctor in 2003 from the University of Baltimore. She is a member of the Association of Inspectors General, the Maryland Bar Association, and the Serjeant’s Inn Law Club.

Bryan Bartsch

Assistant Inspector General of Operations

Bryan oversees and directs the day-to-day activities of the office's information technology (IT), ensuring that systems, services, and infrastructure work reliably and securely. He also gathers and analyzes relevant data in support of investigations.