Two men, the former Chief and Captain of the Bethany Beach Police Department, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud related to their theft of overtime funds from the Department, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Shannon T. Hanson. The Honorable Chief U.S. District Judge Colm F. Connolly accepted the pleas.
According to court documents, Michael Redmon, 58, of Selbyville, and Darin Cathell, 49, of Frankford, spent years claiming to work overtime shifts that they did not, in fact, work. Redmon, the former Chief of the Department, falsely claimed at least 174 shifts, totaling at least 760 hours and at least $81,890. Cathell, the former second-in-command of the Department, falsely claimed at least 185 shifts, totaling at least 800 hours and at least $67,970. Some of the funds Redmon and Cathell received were federal grant funds officials said.
Acting U.S. Attorney Hanson stated, “Taking the oath to protect and serve is a sacred trust. Those that take the oath must follow the law themselves. These officers failed to do that, thereby damaging public trust and confidence in law enforcement as a whole, including the scores of officers who do the right thing each and every day. Just as my Office will always proudly stand with the best of law enforcement, we will not hesitate to hold to account those officers who betray the badge by breaking the law. We thank both the FBI and the investigators at the Delaware Attorney General’s Office, who have been dogged in investigating this abuse of authority.”
“The defendants profited handsomely by abusing their positions and taking advantage of the trust placed in law enforcement. The FBI is committed to rooting out corruption and holding bad actors accountable for violating the oath they swore to uphold,” said FBI Baltimore SAC William J. DelBagno.
Redmon and Cathell each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and both are scheduled for sentencing on August 12, 2025. Chief Judge Connolly will determine the defendants’ sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.