Massachusetts Sheriff Federally Indicted On Extortion Charges Tied To Boston Weed Business

A Massachusetts county sheriff, Steven W. Tompkins, 67, was federally indicted on charges of extorting an executive at a cannabis company so that he could own stock in the business – and then demanded his money back when his investment dropped in value, according to the US Attorney’s Office.

Tompkins – who has led the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department since his 2013 appointment, was indicted on two counts of extortion under color of official right.

The cannabis company, which was unnamed in the announcement, applied for a license to open a retail dispensary in Boston in 2019 – which required a ‘positive impact plan’ or PIP, which was satisfied by a partnership with the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department in order to employ released offenders as part of a re-entry program.

According to federal prosecutors, Tompkins pressured a company executive to allow him to purchase stock as the company prepared to go public. The executive, who feared the sheriff could use his position to threaten the PIP plan and their licensing approval – or impact the timing of their IPO, bent the knee to Tompkins’ demands.

In November 2020, Tompkins wired $50,000 to purchase stock at around $1.73 per share. After a reverse stock split, he was left with 14,417 shares at a price of $3.46 per share. 

When the IPO launched in 2021, the stock was valued at around $9.60 per share, however by May of 2022 the stock’s value had dropped and Tompkins had lost money on the investment. He then demanded a refund of his $50,000 - which the company executive agreed to, and did so in the form of checks issued between May 2022 and July 2023. The executive wrote “loan repayment” or “company expense” to hide their nature, 10 Boston reports.

“Elected officials, particularly those in law enforcement, are expected to be ethical, honest and law abiding – not self-serving. His alleged actions are an affront to the voters and taxpayers who elected him to his position, and the many dedicated and honest public servants at the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department. The people of Suffolk County deserve better,” US Attorney Leah B. Foley wrote in a media release. 

More via the release:

As Sheriff, Tompkins oversees approximately 1,000 correctional officers and other employees responsible for operating and maintaining correctional facilities in Boston at the House of Correction and the Nashua Street Jail.

The charges of extortion under color of official right each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

U.S. Attorney Foley and FBI SAC Docks made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant United States Attorneys John Mulcahy of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit and Dustin Chao, Chief of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.