FENWICK ISLAND — Former Fenwick Island Police Chief William Boyden this week pleaded guilty to misconduct and falsifying records and will complete community service in lieu of jail time, probation or fines.
Boyden, who resigned as Fenwick Island Police Chief earlier this year, was indicted on one count of misconduct and one count of falsifying business records after it came to light he had submitted false records to the Delaware Council on Police Training indicating he had been certified in firearms. According to the indictment, for a period of six years from 2014 to 2020, Boyden had been submitting documents to the council he had obtained the requisite certifications in firearm training.
Boyden pleaded guilty to both counts this week at the very first court hearing in the case. For each offense, Boyden was sentenced to one year in prison, which was suspended. He was also placed on level two probation for one year, from which he will be discharged after completing 100 hours of community service. According to a Delaware Department of Justice release, Boyden accepted responsibility for his actions at the first available court hearing and agreed to no longer work in a law enforcement capacity.
The case was brought by the Delaware Department of Justice’s Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust with the assistance and full cooperation of the town of Fenwick Island. In the meantime, longtime Fenwick Island law enforcement officer John Devlin, who had been serving as interim chief since Boyden’s resignation, was officially sworn in as the new Chief of Police in Fenwick Island on Sept. 1.
