Montgomery County Police Chief Marc Yamada forced to retire immediately

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — The Montgomery County Police Chief Marc Yamada has been forced to retire immediately, according to 7News sources.

Sources added Yamada is already cleaning out his office on Friday morning.

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7News sources also confirmed the chief has been under investigation for alleged misuse of county funds, involving travel to Las Vegas.

County Executive Marc Elrich released the following statement on Yamada’s resignation:

Today, I accepted the resignation of the Montgomery County Department of Police (MCPD) Chief Marc Yamada. We thank him for nearly four decades of service to MCPD and our residents. This resignation is effective immediately, and I have selected Assistant Chief Darren Francke to serve as Acting Chief of Police until a permanent Chief is appointed.

The police department also released a statement on the change in leadership.

“The Montgomery County Department of Police received notification that County Executive Marc Elrich has accepted the resignation of Marc Yamada as Chief of Police. Effective Friday, September 18, 2026, Assistant Chief Darren Francke will serve as Acting Chief of Police until a permanent Chief is appointed. 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.”

We’re told a Montgomery County Inspector General’s investigation has been completed and is expected to be released soon.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.