A Massachusetts sheriff was taken into custody and charged Friday for allegedly extorting $50,000 from a cannabis company seeking to open a store in Boston, according to federal authorities.
In just the latest example of cannabis-connected alleged public corruption, Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins allegedly pressured the executive of an unnamed cannabis company to sell him shares before demanding a refund when valuations dropped, the Justice Department said Friday.
According to WBUR, publicly available details and documents suggest that the company in question is Ascend Wellness Holdings. The company did not immediately comment.
Alleged bribery scheme involving Boston sheriff, marijuana firm
As per authorities, the unnamed company planned to open a retail cannabis shop in Boston in 2019 and partnered with the sheriff’s office to help screen and refer graduates of its re-entry program to work there.
While the licensing process was still underway, Tompkins pressured the executive to sell him stock before the company’s initial public offering, according to court documents.
When the executive declined, Tompkins allegedly reminded him that the company still needed the sheriff’s help for future license renewals.
The executive eventually relented and sold Tompkins stock that was eventually worth as much as $138,403 after the company went public in 2021.
After shares declined in value following an industry-wide trend, Tompkins, then in a re-election campaign, demanded his money back.
According to prosecutors, the executive wrote Tompkins five checks between May 2022 and July 2023, masking the payments as related to a loan.
Latest example of alleged public corruption connected to cannabis
Tompkins, who was arrested in Florida on Friday, was appointed sheriff in 2013 and elected as sheriff during a special election in 2014. He’s been elected to successive six-year terms.
“Elected officials, particularly those in law enforcement, are expected to be ethical, honest and law abiding – not self-serving,” United States Attorney Leah Foley said.
Tompkins oversees about 1,000 correctional officers and other employees responsible for operating and maintaining correctional facilities.
He was scheduled to make his initial court appearance on Aug. 11.
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