The FBI has announced that a sheriff from Suffolk County, Massachusetts, has been arrested on extortion charges. This arrest comes after an investigation into allegations that he coerced $50,000 from a cannabis company based in Boston.
FBI agents took Sheriff Stephen W. Tompkins into custody on Friday in Southern Florida, as stated by U.S. attorneys for Massachusetts. He was subsequently brought back to Boston after an appearance in Florida’s Federal Court.
Tompkins faces charges for two counts of using his official position to instill fear. It’s claimed that he compelled the owner of a Boston-based cannabis retailer to pay him $50,000.
“Tompkins is a sitting sheriff overseeing more than 1,000 employees, elected to serve the good people of Suffolk County,” expressed an FBI agent in a written statement. “Today, he is accused of intimidating an executive from a cannabis company.
Elected officials, especially those in law enforcement, are expected to uphold ethical standards for those who placed them in power and the devoted civil servants at the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office. His alleged actions are a betrayal. The residents of Suffolk County deserve better.”
Court documents indicate that the cannabis company sought to establish a retail clinic in Boston. After submitting an application to the Massachusetts Cannabis Regulation Authority, Sheriff Tompkins reportedly pressured one of the owners into acquiring shares in the venture. Under the sheriff’s escalating pressure, a payment of $50,000 was made for the company’s stock.
The value of the stock later declined, leading the sheriff to claim losses on his investment and request a $50,000 refund. Payments were disguised as “loan repayments” to obscure their true nature, according to prosecutors.
If he is found guilty of the charges, Tompkins could face a maximum federal prison sentence of 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000.
