BETHANY BEACH, Del. — Michael Redmon, the former police chief of Bethany Beach, has been charged with wire fraud after federal authorities accused him of stealing more than $80,000 through falsified overtime claims.
According to documents filed by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, Redmon allegedly submitted fraudulent overtime claims between December 2019 and May 2023. These claims included 237 overtime shifts, totaling over 1,000 hours. Investigators found that he had not worked at least 174 of those shifts, misappropriating $81,980 in taxpayer funds.
The funds used to pay for police overtime reportedly came from three grant sources: the Delaware Criminal Justice Council, the Delaware Fund to Combat Violent Crimes and the Delaware Office of Highway Safety. These were federal funds administered under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program.
Court documents state Redmon falsified overtime slips and transmitted them through interstate communication systems. As part of the scheme, Redmon allegedly represented that he had worked hours he did not actually complete.
The government has also filed a notice of forfeiture, seeking to recover the misappropriated funds. If convicted, Redmon could face financial penalties and prison time. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace is handling the prosecution.
As CoastTV recently reported, the former captain of the Bethany Beach PD was also charged in stealing overtime funds from the town.