Chief Michael Irey was taken into custody in New Jersey on Nov. 9, four days after an arrest warrant was issued on Nov. 5. He is being held while awaiting extradition back to Pennsylvania.

The case began on Dec. 5, 2025, when eight officers from the Upland Borough Police Department filed complaints against their chief. The officers told investigators they had grown suspicious because Irey repeatedly failed to appear for overtime and extra-duty posts he had signed up for. At least one officer was able to review Irey's claimed hours in the department's timekeeping system.

Several officers also reported seeing Irey at bars in Delaware County during hours he had claimed to be working, and license plate readers positioned around the county placed his borough-issued vehicle near those same establishments, according to the district attorney's office.

A review of Irey's overtime submissions confirmed that he had received more than $50,000 for hours he did not work. He now faces charges of theft by unlawful taking of movable property, obstruction of justice, forgery and related offenses.

The overtime in question was tied to grant-funded assignments that the borough police department relies on to pay officers for extra duties. Those assignments included directing traffic before and after school at Chester Community Charter School, assisting the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and a weekend detail known as the Roving DUI Patrol.

The investigation remains active. Anyone with information is asked to contact Sgt. Edward Rosen at 610-891-4700.

The allegations strike at a department that, like many small borough forces in Delaware County, depends on outside grant money to stretch limited resources for traffic safety and school-zone coverage. The case also raises questions about oversight of overtime approvals in a department where the chief himself was the top-ranking official responsible for signing off on extra-duty assignments.

Irey is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.