FENWICK ISLAND, Del.- Fenwick Island's former police chief has pleaded guilty on charges he falsified firearm certification records that qualified him to be a law enforcement officer.
The Delaware Department of Justice said Wednesday evening that William Boyden pleaded guilty to Official Misconduct and Falsifying Business Records. The DOJ says Boyden was indicted in August after knowingly submitting the false reports to the Delaware Council on Police Training between February 2014 and March 2020.
The indictment did not state what the firearm training requirements were, but prosecutors allege the records Boyden submitted falsely stated he received firearm certification from the council, allowing him to remain as chief of police “to his own personal benefit.”
Both of Boyden's charges are Class A misdemeanors. Boyden resigned earlier this year after 13 years as Fenwick's chief. According to the DOJ, for each offense, Boyden was sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for one concurrent year of Level 2 probation, and issued a suspended fine of $100.
The DOJ says Boyden’s probation is dischargeable after he completes 100 hours of community service. The DOJ says as part of the agreement, Boyden accepted responsibility at the first available court hearing, and agreed to no longer work in a law enforcement capacity.
The Delaware Department of Justice’s Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust says the case was completed with the cooperation of the Town of Fenwick Island.
On Thursday, the Fenwick Island Police Department issued the below press release regarding the Boyden case and what measures the town and the department plan on taking in the future to prevent such an incident happening again.
