Montgomery County police chief Marc Yamada resigns following misconduct investigation

GAITHERSBURG, Md. - Montgomery County Police Chief Marc Yamada has resigned following an inspector general investigation into misconduct allegations.

What we know:

Details of the investigation were released hours after county officials confirmed Yamada’s departure.

County Executive Marc Elrich said he has appointed Assistant Chief Darren Francke to serve as acting chief until a permanent replacement is named.

Yamada was selected to lead the department in 2024 ahead of the retirement of then‑Chief Marcus Jones. He previously served as an assistant chief and had been with the department for more than 35 years. He was the first Japanese‑American to lead the Montgomery County Police Department.

FLASHBACK: Montgomery County police veteran Marc Yamada nominated to be next chief

Police officials say the department will continue normal operations during the leadership transition and remain focused on serving Montgomery County. They say they are committed to transparency, accountability and maintaining the public’s trust as they move forward.

Inspector General's investigation

Dig deeper:

According to the inspector general's report, the office received complaints in June that Yamada failed to take required leave; that he attended a golf event while "on the clock" and consumed alcohol without taking leave; and that he chose a relative and county employee to accompany him to a work-related conference.

The investigation found that Yamada failed to record any form of leave between July 1, 2024, and July 5, 2026, despite occasionally being unavailable during work hours. The report noted that a lack of documentation prevented investigators from determining the number of hours that Yamada failed to record as leave. Officials were able to identify at least five days, or 40 hours, when Yamada was out of office and did not adjust his schedule to make up the time.

According to the report, Yamada believed the additional hours that he often worked during each pay period made up for the time that he was away, saying that "99% of the time" he works more than 40 hours per week and does not adjust his schedule to make up for extra hours.

The report noted that, besides a 40-hour vacation in July 2026, records showed Yamada had not documented any other leave since July 2024, including times when he told other county officials he would be out of the office.

Neither of the county’s attendance recording systems showed that Yamada adjusted his schedule to make up for the hours away from the office.

During an interview with inspector general investigators, Yamada admitted to taking time during workdays to attend appointments without taking leave or documenting schedule adjustments.

A review of his leave balance on July 7 showed he had accumulated 296 hours of annual leave and 8,863 hours of sick leave.

"By not taking any leave during their tenure, the executive continued to contribute towards their sick leave balance, a portion of which could be credited towards their pension," the report noted.

This also violated Montgomery County Police Department policy that prohibits being absent from duty without taking leave.

Attending social events

Through the investigation, the Inspector General’s Office found that police executives and managers were uncertain about when they were required to take leave to attend events, as some believed the golf outing was representing the department and others believed it was a personal event that required leave.

During the investigation, Yamada told officials he attended the golf event in a private capacity and admitted that he did not take leave during that time. He noted that he would have expected other employees to take leave for the event.

Yamada also admitted to consuming two alcoholic drinks during the event. Photos showed him unarmed and in civilian attire, the report details. 

Investigators said if Yamada was not on duty during the event, the alcohol consumption would not violate county policies; however, the report noted that his timecard did not show leave was taken that day.

Relative chosen for work assignment

The investigation confirmed that Yamada’s relative, who is also a county employee, traveled with him for a work conference in connection with police duties. 

Yamada told investigators that he did not participate in the decision to choose the relative for the assignment. However, officials determined that Yamada lied about selecting the relative, which violates a section of the county code.

The Inspector General’s Office shared several recommendations for the county, including:

• Determine if the county wants to recover 40 hours, or five days, of pay from Yamada.
• Clarify expectations about time, attendance and use of leave for employees who are exempt from personnel regulations.
• Update police department policy to require that all supervisors review and approve timecards, in keeping with the county’s payroll policies.
• Implement a policy that clarifies when employees can attend social events during work hours without taking leave.

City officials respond

What they're saying:

In response to the report, county officials said they were disappointed in the finding that Yamada took absences from work without taking leaving or adjusting his schedule. They also said they were "deeply concerned" over Yamada’s lie about selecting a relative for a work assignment, which was a violation of county code.

"Trust is paramount in our service to the public and those in high-level positions must always uphold the highest standards. Therefore, appropriate action has been taken," County Executive Marc Elrich’s office said in a statement.

Elrich said Friday that he requested Yamada's resignation following the findings of the investigation.

"I was very upset when I heard the allegations, and then I found out about the resignation early this morning," said Natali Fani-Gonzalez, President of Montgomery County Council. "I am so glad that we have a strong police department in Montgomery County. I think it's one of the top in the nation, and we're going to have an acting chief right away: Chief Darren Franke, who I think is going to do a great job until the county executive sends a nomination to the council to accept."

Councilman Will Jawando said he plans to review the inspector general's recommendations and work to ensure safeguards are strengthened. 

"The conduct described in this report should not be allowed to reflect on the women and men of MCPD who serve our community every day and who are themselves held to high standards. They deserve leadership that meets those same standards," Jawando said in a statement. 

NewsMontgomery County