WASHTENAW COUNTY, Mich. – Washtenaw County Sheriff Alyshia Dyer said Thursday a county-commissioned investigation last year found “no evidence of wrongdoing” after a marijuana “cigarette” was reportedly found in a sheriff’s office vehicle that had been previously assigned to her.
In a Facebook post, Dyer said she does not smoke marijuana and criticized the outside probe conducted by Dykema Gossett PLLC, a Texas-based commercial law firm hired by the county.
Dyer attached a redacted version of the report and called the investigation a distraction and “a poor use of county taxpayer dollars.”
According to the report, in May of 2025, Dyer was notified that a Jeep Wrangler she had selected as her new official county vehicle was ready for use.
A month later, in June, the report states she was informed the GMC Yukon Denali she was currently driving had to be turned in or the county could forcibly repossess it.
It states that the car was returned the next day.
When an employee went to drive the SUV to the outfitter that prepares vehicles for use, the report states the employee found a marijuana cigarette in plain view on the driver’s seat that was burnt on one end.
The report concludes that investigators weren’t able to determine whether the cigarette belonged to Dyer or another employee of the sheriff’s office, whether it was smoked in the vehicle, or whether anyone violated any applicable rules, policies, or laws.
It states that Dyer declined to be interviewed or provide a statement as part of the investigation.
In the Facebook post, Dyer said she was in New York for training when the vehicle was returned and argued that investigators did not review schedules to determine who had access to it, did not interview the employee who returned the vehicle, and interviewed only two staff members from June through November 2025.
Dyer also alleged the chain of custody for the evidence was mishandled and questioned the county’s spending priorities, citing more than $360,000 paid to the law firm in 2025 and contrasting that with recent budget disputes over jail food and health care funding.
The post specifically criticized Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners Chair Katie Scott, saying the investigation was “part of a petty grudge”.
Scott responded with a Facebook statement of her own, saying the board was obligated to have an independent review.
“The fact that it was in a law enforcement vehicle does raise questions about was protocol involved, was it part of evidence that was handled, was it somebody that was smoking in a sheriff vehicle while the sheriff vehicle was being used?” Scott told Local 4 in an interview.
Scott said the decision to hire an outside firm was made to keep politics out of the investigation.
“When there are concerns that are raised involving public institutions, you have an obligation to take them seriously and ensure that they’re reviewed,” Scott said.