Montgomery County Police Chief Marc Yamada has resigned, effective immediately, County Executive Marc Elrich announced Friday.
According to a new report from the county’s inspector general, Yamada allegedly took time off without reporting it or taking leave, and a whistleblower reported he consumed alcohol while on county time and misused county resources for personal gain.
The inspector general’s report never identifies Yamada by name, only calling him an MCPD executive. But we know based on the whistleblower report and statements from county officials that the investigation was about the former chief.
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found that Yamada violated county code and the police department’s policy.
According to the inspector general’s report, between July 2024 and July 2026, Yamada did not record any leave at all, despite being absent from the office on multiple occasions, including an extended medical leave early this year. The investigation confirmed at least five days when the police chief was unavailable for work without taking leave or changing his work schedule.
The whistleblower’s report also included allegations that he attended a golf tournament and consumed alcohol during his work day.
The report also states that while the police chief is exempt from county personnel regulations due to his position, his alleged actions violated MCPD policy prohibiting workers from being absent without leave.
The inspector general report says Yamada allowed a relative who also works for the county to go with him to a work-related conference. According to the whistleblower report, that relative was Yamada’s son, who accompanied him as “security” on a trip to Las Vegas. Yamada denied involvement in the decision to bring his son, but the OIG found that was not true and that Yamada violated county code.
The inspector general also discovered that Yamada provided a county vehicle to a county employee who used the vehicle for personal matters without approval.
Yamada became the county’s police chief two years ago after serving in various leadership positions.
Elrich said Yamada turned in his resignation Friday after close to four decades of service in the department.
The police union referred to it as a “retirement,” and according to the Washington Post, that’s what Yamada called it in an email to staff. However, Elrich told News4 it was a resignation and that he required it from Yamada.
Elrich said he expects county employees to follow established policies, and based on the findings of this investigation, he determined a change in leadership was necessary.
The report also included five recommendations the county and the police department should take to eliminate similar issues. Elrich said the county would work to implement those recommendations.
Yamada has not been charged with any crime and has not provided any comment on the OIG’s report or on the whistleblower allegations that led to the investigation.
Elrich said he has appointed Assistant Chief Darren Francke to serve as acting police chief until a permanent chief is selected.
The Montgomery County Police Department released a statement saying in part: “During this leadership transition, the department will continue its day-to-day operations and remain focused on serving Montgomery County. We also remain committed to transparency, accountability and maintaining the public’s trust as we move forward.”
