The Wayne County Committee on Audit received an agreed-upon procedures report from the Office of Legislative Auditor General that found controlled-substance evidence held by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office and identified for destruction had been removed from inventory and completely destroyed, the committee heard.

The report, presented by Maxwell Andrews of the Office of Legislative Auditor General, said the procedures were designed “to determine whether criminal cases related to controlled substance were closed, whether controlled substance evidence identified for destruction exist and the types and quantity indicated and whether the controlled substance evidence was removed intact and whether the controlled substance evidence was completely destroyed.” Andrews told the committee, “Based on the procedures performed, all objectives were successfully achieved and all identified controlled substance evidence no longer required to be held for adjudication purposes was properly and completely destroyed.”

Why it matters: destruction of narcotics evidence requires clear chain-of-custody and case-close verification so material is not disposed of while it might still be needed for prosecution. The auditor general’s engagement checked four objectives: that cases and incident reports were closed; that the items identified for destruction existed in the type and quantity indicated; that the items were removed from the inventory intact; and that the items were completely destroyed.

Marcy Cora, identified as Auditor General during the meeting, elaborated on the audit objectives and said auditors reviewed whether cases and incident reports were closed before evidence was destroyed and confirmed inventory removal and destruction. Cora told the committee the engagement found ongoing improvements in how exhibits are cataloged and maintained and that the 2025 drug destruction occurred during a single eight-hour period.

According to the report presented to the committee, the evidence slated for destruction resulted from formal seizures and confiscations between 2008 and 2025. The report listed the types of drugs destroyed — including marijuana, crack cocaine, cocaine hydrochloride, heroin and pills such as ecstasy — and reported an approximate total weight of 970 pounds and an estimated street value of $780,000. The report concluded no new areas requiring corrective action were identified and that a corrective-action plan would not be requested for this engagement.

Representatives from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office who joined the meeting thanked the auditor general’s staff for assistance and professionalism during the destruction process. Committee members moved to receive the auditor general’s report on file and voted to carry the motion.

The committee also approved its meeting minutes for Sept. 10, 2025, by tablet vote as part of routine business and then adjourned.