Former Upland Borough Police Chief Michael Irey is facing 20 criminal counts after investigators say he collected more than $50,000 in overtime and extra-duty pay for shifts he never actually worked. He was arrested in New Jersey and is now awaiting extradition back to Delaware County to face the charges.
The Delaware County District Attorney's Office announced the charges, which include theft, forgery and obstruction, according to Delaware County Times. Investigators allege Irey took in $52,666.92 in payments for assignments he never worked between January 7, 2025, and January 24, 2026, as reported by Daily Voice. Of that total, $23,953.88 was tied to traffic details at Chester Community Charter School and $28,713.04 came from grant-funded PennDOT overtime work, the outlet's reporting indicates.
Court documents detail an extensive list of charges against the former chief: three counts each of theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, and unsworn falsification to authorities, along with six forgery-related counts and single counts of obstruction of justice and receiving stolen property, per Daily Voice's account of the charging documents.
How the Case Came Together
The investigation traces back to complaints filed with the borough by eight full-time Upland officers. On December 5, 2025, Upland Borough Police officials contacted the Delaware County District Attorney's Special Investigations Unit with information about those complaints, according to FOX 29. The following month, more complaints surfaced, including seven anonymous submissions delivered directly to Upland Borough Council, the station reports.
To build the case, detectives compared payroll and overtime submissions against automated license plate reader records, cellphone location data, bank transactions and electronic police station entry logs, the same outlet's reporting states. In one instance, investigators allege a timesheet originally showing six hours of grant-funded overtime was deleted and replaced with a version showing none — after Irey had already been paid for it.
Cruisers Spotted Near Bars Instead of Duty Posts
Multiple officers told investigators they saw Irey at bars around Delaware County during hours he was supposed to be working paid assignments, per the district attorney's account relayed by FOX 29. License plate reader data reportedly backed that up, placing Irey's borough-issued vehicle near some of those same bars rather than the duty locations where he was assigned.
An arrest warrant for Irey was issued on November 5, and he was taken into custody in New Jersey four days later, FOX 29 reports. He remains there awaiting extradition to Delaware County to face the charges. The investigation remains ongoing, per the same outlet's reporting.
A Department Under Scrutiny
This isn't the first turbulence inside Upland's small police force. Daily Voice reports that Irey was placed on administrative leave on February 13, 2026, while the investigation was underway; Delaware County Times notes that by March, a lieutenant was also on leave. The outlet also points to a prior legal dispute involving former chief Nelson Ocasio, who filed a lawsuit in 2017. As first reported by 6abc Philadelphia, anyone with information related to the case is asked to contact Sgt. Edward Rosen at 610-891-4700.
As first reported by 6abc Philadelphia, anyone with information related to the case is asked to contact Sgt. Edward Rosen at 610-891-4700.
