Washtenaw County Sheriff Alyshia Dyer yesterday sharply criticized county officials for bringing in outside counsel to investigate a burned marijuana cigarette found last year in her county-assigned SUV, calling the whole effort a taxpayer-funded distraction. Dyer flatly denied that the cigarette was hers and argued that the scrutiny is pulling focus from actual public safety work.
What investigators found and recommended
In June 2025, an employee discovered a burnt Jeeter-brand marijuana cigarette on the driver’s seat of the SUV assigned to Dyer when the vehicle was turned in for an exchange. An investigator's report later recommended sending the cigarette to a lab for drug and DNA testing and turning the inquiry over to the Michigan State Police. It also suggested that, if warranted, the matter be referred to the governor, who has the authority to remove county officers for official misconduct. Investigators said they could not determine whether the cigarette belonged to any law enforcement official or whether department rules were violated. County Administrator Gregory Dill told county leaders the investigation remained inconclusive, and officials have not publicly disclosed what the outside review cost. County Board Chair Katie Scott said independent outside reviews are about accountability, not retaliation, as reported by MLive.
Dyer pushes back
Dyer took to Facebook to blast county leaders for hiring what she described as a "national corporate law firm" to investigate what she called a "roach" found in a work vehicle. She labeled the spending "a distraction, a waste of time, and a poor use of county taxpayer dollars." She also told MLive that she does not smoke marijuana and insisted the cigarette was not hers.
Why the fight has widened
The clash over the cigarette is unfolding inside a broader, already tense standoff between the sheriff and county leadership that has spilled into board meetings and public filings, turning routine oversight into political theater. Coverage of high-profile legal fights and board action this year, combined with the sheriff’s office releasing dashcam and 911 audio in a deputy-involved shooting, has made any outside review more politically charged, as reported by WEMU. All of that helps explain how a tiny piece of contraband ended up at the center of a much bigger power struggle.
Legal implications
The investigators did not name any suspect. Their recommendations focus on laboratory testing and on possible administrative or criminal follow-up, depending on what the evidence shows. A lab result tying the item to an employee could trigger referrals to state authorities or to the governor’s office for possible removal of a county officer, but the report framed those steps as conditional and described the inquiry as otherwise inconclusive.
For now, county officials say the probe produced no definitive finding and have still not released what was spent on the outside review. Sheriff Dyer remains in office, and the episode is poised to fuel ongoing fights over oversight, transparency, and how far the county should go, and pay, to chase down a single roach.
