Marc Yamada

Introduction

Marc Yamada is a retired American police chief who led the Montgomery County Department of Police (MCPD) in Montgomery County, Maryland, from 2024 until his abrupt removal in September 2026. A 35-year department veteran who had served as an assistant chief, Yamada was selected to lead MCPD in 2024 ahead of then-Chief Marcus Jones’s retirement, and he was the first Japanese-American to lead the department. On Friday, September 18, 2026, County Executive Marc Elrich announced he had accepted Yamada’s resignation effective immediately and had selected Assistant Chief Darren Francke as acting chief; hours later the county’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released findings that an agency executive — an official the report never names — had missed work without taking leave and lied to investigators about picking a relative for a work conference. 7News, which reported that Yamada was forced to retire immediately, said sources described him cleaning out his office that morning and confirmed the chief had been under investigation for alleged misuse of county funds involving Las Vegas travel. No criminal charge against Yamada appears in either report, and nothing has been adjudicated.

Background Information

Yamada spent his documented career inside one institution: more than 35 years with MCPD, service as an assistant chief, selection as chief in 2024, and the milestone of becoming the first Japanese-American to lead the department. By the time of his removal, Elrich credited him with “nearly four decades of service to MCPD and our residents.” Beyond that service history, neither report describes any prior controversy.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Allegations. The claims in this section are allegations and investigative findings, not adjudicated facts. The inspector general’s findings about an unnamed MCPD executive are official findings, but the report does not name that executive; the account of Yamada cleaning out his office and the reported misuse-of-funds investigation are attributed to unnamed sources; and no criminal charge has been filed against Yamada. Nothing here has been proven in court.

The events that ended Yamada’s tenure unfolded within a single day. On Friday, September 18, 2026, sources told 7News that Yamada cleaned out his office that morning, and hours later the OIG publicly released findings of an investigation into an unnamed MCPD executive — findings 7News reported were the reason Yamada was “forced to retire immediately.”

The inspector general’s factual findings concerned an executive whom the report does not name. Investigators found the executive recorded no leave between July 2024 and July 2026 despite several absences — confirmed at five days, totaling 40 hours, including attending a golf tournament where the executive consumed alcohol — and that although the position is exempt from county personnel regulations, the absences violated police department policy. The executive also chose a family member who works for the county to attend a work-related conference, then denied involvement in that decision; providing false information during the investigation violated county code. Separately, investigators determined the executive directed that a county vehicle be given to an employee of the Office of the County Attorney without appropriate limits, later used for personal matters without required approval. The review identified inconsistent timecard checks and confusion about leave rules, and made five recommendations not detailed in the announcement.

What tied the report to Yamada was official statement and sourcing rather than the document itself. Elrich first announced — before the report’s release — that he had accepted Yamada’s resignation, thanking him for his service. After it was made public, Elrich said he had “requested the resignation” and that his decision “followed the findings of an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General that was just made public,” which he said had “substantiated violations of County and MCPD expectations regarding time away from work.” “More concerning to me were the findings regarding the accuracy of the Chief’s statements to the IG during the investigation,” Elrich said, adding, “Based on the findings of this investigation, I determined that a change in leadership was necessary.” Separately and without elaboration, sources confirmed to 7News the alleged county-funds investigation involving Las Vegas travel; no finding about it appears in the OIG’s public report, and the report itself names no executive.

Public Reaction and Consequences

The institutional reaction was immediate, and the consequence was the loss of the job itself: a chief with nearly four decades in the department was out the same day, before the public had seen the report that preceded his removal. The department confirmed that Elrich had accepted Yamada’s resignation and that Assistant Chief Darren Francke would serve as acting chief. “During this leadership transition, the department will continue its day-to-day operations and remain focused on serving Montgomery County,” the department said, adding that it remained “committed to transparency, accountability, and maintaining the public’s trust as we move forward.”

The most pointed public comment came from Councilmember Will Jawando, who said he had reviewed the OIG’s memorandum and was “deeply disappointed by its findings regarding misconduct by an MCPD executive.” “Those who lead the department must exercise that authority with the highest levels of integrity, accountability and sound judgment,” Jawando said, noting the executive “was absent from duty on at least five days without taking leave” and “was not truthful with investigators regarding their role in selecting a County-employed relative to attend an out-of-state conference.” He said the conduct “should not be allowed to reflect on the women and men of MCPD who serve our community every day.”

Current Status

As of mid-September 2026, Yamada is no longer Montgomery County’s police chief. His resignation was effective immediately on September 18, and Assistant Chief Darren Francke is serving as acting chief until a permanent chief is appointed. The inspector general’s memorandum remains the only public investigative document, and it does not name the executive whose conduct it describes.

Impact on Their Career/Life

Yamada’s removal closed a career of nearly four decades with a single department, roughly two years after he was chosen to lead it. He departed not through indictment or conviction but through an inspector general’s findings about an unnamed executive, a county executive’s statements laying the decision on findings that included the accuracy of “the Chief’s statements to the IG during the investigation,” and a reported county-funds inquiry that has produced no published conclusion. The historic character of his appointment now shares the record with the circumstances of his exit. What is documented is an acting chief in place, a county saying it will implement the report’s recommendations, and a department publicly pledging transparency and public trust.