Newly discovered information shows that Michigan 103rd House District candidate Republican Edwin Dean was arrested in 2021 after Pennsylvania troopers found multiple jars of marijuana, containers of wax, and a grow tent in Dean’s vehicle at a traffic stop.
The 103rd House District covers parts of Grand Traverse, Benzie and Leelanau counties and has been held by State Representative Betsy Coffia (D-Traverse City) since 2023.
Last year, Dean was elected as a Northport Village Council trustee. Three trustee seats were open at the time, and Dean won as a write-in candidate with ten total votes.
In the arrest report from March 2021, troopers wrote they pulled over Dean’s vehicle after receiving a “be on the lookout” alert concerning the “mental health of Dean possibly harming himself and/or others.”
Dean was later transported to a nearby hospital. He was 23 at the time.
After receiving a search warrant the following day, troopers found five jars of marijuana, two separate cell phones, one container of marijuana wax, a disassembled grow tent and a journal “kept by Dean indicating his involvement with drug activity.”
The 500 grams of marijuana that police recovered is estimated to have had a 2021 street value between $2,200 to $4,500.
In an interview the day after his arrest, Dean admitted to providing marijuana to other people and intending to use the grow tent to harvest marijuana.
Eventually, Dean pleaded guilty to intentional possession of a controlled substance by a person not registered and to possession of an instrument of crime with intent. He was sentenced to three years probation and fifty hours of community service.
At that time, Dean also entered into a payment plan to repay court costs.
The last payment to the court was dated January 31, 2025 — just sixteen days after he attended his first meeting as a Northport Village trustee.
In response to IPR's questions about his arrest, Dean responded with the following emailed statement:
“In 2021, while traveling through Pennsylvania, I was arrested after marijuana was found in my vehicle. It wasn't mine; it belonged to my cousin. I was 23. The matter was resolved as a misdemeanor. I take full responsibility for my actions at that time. I have since built a life and small business in northern Michigan and am focused on representing the people of the 103rd District.”
IPR asked for clarification regarding both the arrest report saying Dean was interviewed saying that he intended to use the grow tent to harvest marijuana and that the arrest record noted a notebook indicating his involvement in "drug activity."
Dean did not respond with any additional information.
