Anti-ICE, pro-George Floyd sheriff arrested for allegedly extorting weed company
The sheriff faces 20 years in prison if convicted of the extortion charges.
Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins of Massachusetts is accused of extorting a cannabis company to have privileged access to investment opportunities, according to federal prosecutors.
Tompkins, 67, was arrested in Florida on two counts of extortion. He faces 20 years in prison if found guilty, in addition to a possible $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
'What the sheriff saw as an easy way to make a quick buck on the sly is clear-cut corruption under federal law.'
Tompkins allegedly used his position to pressure the unnamed marijuana company to allow him to purchase stock in the company before it went public. Initially, his $50,000 investment grew to be valued at $138,000, but afterward it tumbled, and he then demanded the company refund his money.
The indictment included screenshots of five checks made out to Tompkins to refund the money, but they were falsely labeled as "loan repayments" in order to obscure the extortion scheme.
"What the sheriff saw as an easy way to make a quick buck on the sly is clear-cut corruption under federal law," said Ted E. Docks of the Boston FBI.
The sheriff made headlines in October when he ended an agreement to house detainees for Immigration and Customs Enforcement after two decades. He said at the time that ending the contract would allow the department to offer more services for women.
"Our gender-specific programming, which is among the best in the country, allows us to address these issues, which include domestic violence, sexual exploitation, and substance use disorders, to name a few," Tompkins said.
He also joined a kneeling protest in 2020 to show solidarity with activists protesting about the death of George Floyd.
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