FBI Detains Suffolk County Sheriff in Federal Extortion Probe
Federal authorities have arrested Steven W. Tompkins, the Democratic sheriff of Suffolk County, Massachusetts, after a sweeping investigation into allegations that he abused his position to secure a personal stake in a Boston-based cannabis business.
Tompkins, 67, who oversees the sheriff’s department covering Boston and employs more than 1,000 staff members, was indicted on two counts of extortion under color of official right. He was taken into custody this morning in the Southern District of Florida and is expected to make his first court appearance there at 11 a.m. His arraignment in Boston federal court will follow at a later date.
The indictment alleges the incident began in 2019, when a marijuana dispensary applied to the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission for a recreational sales license in Boston. Because of the city’s social equity requirements for cannabis businesses, the company partnered with Tompkins’s office to hire former inmates.
Tompkins reportedly supported the business’s application by sending a formal letter of endorsement to the commission. But prosecutors say he later pressured a company executive into giving him equity in the business—allegedly stressing that the firm might not have secured its license without his backing.
“Sheriff Tompkins was elected to serve the people of Suffolk County with integrity and fairness,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley in a Justice Department release. “Instead, he is accused of using his public position for personal enrichment, undermining the trust placed in him by voters and taxpayers, as well as the dedicated professionals in his department.”
Foley emphasized that rooting out corruption remains a top priority: “When public officials, especially those in law enforcement, betray their oath, we will not hesitate to hold them accountable.”