BETHANY BEACH, Del. —The former police chief and deputy chief of Bethany Beach, Delaware, have pleaded guilty to felony wire fraud after stealing at least $150,000 in overtime pay for shifts they never worked, WHYY reported.
Former Chief Michael Redmon, 58, and Captain Darin Cathell, 49, falsified records over a four-year period, claiming pay for at least 359 overtime shifts totaling 1,560 hours, according to the report. Redmon collected $82,000, while Cathell took $68,000.
The corruption was uncovered in August 2023 while Redmon was already on paid leave for a DUI arrest, according to the report. The two top cops were only allowed to work overtime shifts if they were not claimed by patrol officers, per a city policy. Town officials found that the chief had never posted available overtime shifts, allowing him and Cathell to claim them without working.
The scheme diverted federal and state grant funds intended to provide additional police coverage for the resort town, according to the report.
Bethany Beach officials reported the misconduct to federal and state authorities, leading to an FBI-led investigation. Redmon and Cathell were fired in January 2024 and charged in January 2025. They pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Wilmington and face up to 20 years in prison at their sentencing in August, according to the report. Both have agreed to repay the stolen funds.
“It’s no different than if they had reached into the town [treasury] and walked away with the funds, plain and simple,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Wallace told WHYY. “They stole from the grant funders, from the town, from the police department, from the taxpayers.”
