Florida Arrest of Boston Sheriff Accused of Extortion in Marijuana Business
In a shocking turn of events, Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins was arrested on federal extortion charges related to his involvement in the local cannabis industry. The indictment, made by the United States Attorney's Office, accuses Tompkins of extorting $50,000 from the owner of a national cannabis retailer seeking to establish operations in Boston.
The alleged extortion occurred in 2019 when Tompkins, who oversaw about 1,000 employees at the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department, was approached by the cannabis company for help with their state license. According to federal court documents, Tompkins used his position to force a discounted pre-IPO stock purchase in the Boston cannabis company.
In exchange for his assistance, Tompkins is accused of demanding a secret investment deal worth $50,000. When the stock price later fell, Tompkins allegedly demanded his money back, and the executive paid him through five separate checks labeled as "loan repayment" to conceal the true nature of the payments.
Following the receipt of the shares in November 2020, Tompkins' $50,000 investment grew to approximately $138,000 when the company went public. However, when the investment later lost value, Tompkins allegedly demanded and received a full refund of his money.
The arrest took place in Florida, and Tompkins was charged with two counts of extortion. He has since been released on bond but has yet to schedule a court appearance. Tompkins resigned from the Roxbury Community College Board of Trustees following the charges.
Some in the cannabis industry have expressed surprise at the relatively modest amount involved compared to Tompkins’s official annual salary of $191,000. There is skepticism among some people about the validity and timing of the charges, but court documents do not yet list an attorney for Tompkins, and his response has been unavailable so far. The case remains pending in federal court with no date set for a hearing.
[1] Boston Globe: "Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins indicted on federal extortion charges" [3] WCVB: "Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins resigns from Roxbury Community College Board of Trustees" [4] WBUR: "Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins Indicted On Federal Extortion Charges" [5] NBC Boston: "Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins Indicted on Federal Extortion Charges"
- The arrest of Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins on federal extortion charges raises questions about the intersection of politics, business, and justice, especially in the context of the cannabis industry's expansion into general-news such as crime and justice.
- The politics of the cannabis industry seem to have played a role in recent events, as former Suffolk County Sheriff Tompkins stands accused of extortion for demanding a $50,000 investment from a national cannabis retailer seeking to establish operations in Boston.
- As the case of Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins unfolds, the public will likely scrutinize the role of politics in business deals and the potential for additional charges, given his substantial salary and the relatively small alleged sum in this extortion scheme.
