Ex-Upland police chief arrested in New Jersey over $50,000 in unworked overtime
Michael Irey faces 19 felony counts for allegedly billing school and state highway posts he never attended.
By Isaac Medina ·
Former Upland Borough Police Chief Michael Irey was taken into custody in New Jersey on Monday after police charged him with stealing more than $50,000 in overtime pay. The Delaware County District Attorney’s Office announced the multiple felony charges on Monday, concluding a probe that began in December 2025.
The investigation started when a member of the Upland Borough Police Department contacted the Special Investigations Unit. Authorities stated that eight full-time officers filed complaints with the borough council. These officers alleged that Irey submitted timesheets for extra-duty assignments he did not actually perform. The unpaid work included school traffic details funded by a grant from Chester Community Charter School and overtime shifts for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
Doubts arose among the rank and file after Irey failed to appear at certain posts where he had signed up for duty. The Criminal Investigations Division received seven additional anonymous complaints in January 2026. Investigators reviewed cellphone data, bank records, timekeeping logs, and license plate reader information to verify his whereabouts.
The evidence showed Irey collected over $50,000 for hours he did not work. Multiple officers reported seeing him at bars in and around Delaware County during his paid shifts. License plate readers later placed his borough-issued vehicle near several of those establishments. The district attorney’s office said this physical evidence contradicted the timesheets Irey had submitted.
Irey faces three counts each of theft by unlawful taking, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, theft by deception, forgery, uttering a forged writing, and unsworn falsification to authorities. He also faces one count each of obstruction of justice and receiving stolen property. An arrest warrant went into effect on November 5. Officers in New Jersey detained him on local charges on November 9, and he is currently awaiting extradition to Delaware County.
The district attorney’s office confirmed the investigation is still ongoing. They asked anyone with further information to contact Sgt. Edward Rosen at 610-891-4700.
