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.