Kash Patel slams 'corrupt' sanctuary sheriff indicted for cannabis company extortion

According to court documents, a cannabis company applied in 2019 for a retail dispensary license in Boston through the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC). To meet the state's Positive Impact Plan (PIP) requirement, the company partnered with the sheriff's department, which agreed to screen and refer graduates from its re-entry program for work at the dispensary's retail store.

The company's partnership with SCSD was formalized in a letter signed by Tompkins in 2019 and submitted with its dispensary license application in 2020. The cannabis commission approved the license in 2021 and renewed it in 2022 and 2023, with the company citing the partnership to meet the PIP requirement in each application.

To raise capital for an initial public offering (IPO) and expand as a publicly traded company, executives sought multimillion-dollar investments from institutions and other high-net-worth investors-not the general public, according to court documents. 

By mid-2020, the company was preparing for its IPO by producing audited financial statements, hiring attorneys and obtaining additional financing.

Prosecutors allege Tompkins pressured the cannabis executive for stock, reminding the executive he had helped the company in its licensing efforts. The executive feared Tompkins might exploit his position as sheriff to undermine the partnership with the department, putting both the license and the company's planned IPO in jeopardy.

Prosecutors claim that in November 2020, Tompkins wired $50,000 from his retirement account to an account controlled by the executive, purchasing nearly 29,000 shares at $1.73 each. Following a reverse stock split, he held about 14,400 shares valued at $3.46 each.

Once the company launched its IPO in 2021, the stock value jumped to $9.60 per share, increasing the value of Tompkins' $50,000 purchase of 14,417 shares to $138,403.

By May 2022, the value of Tompkins' stock had dropped thousands of dollars below his $50,000 investment, but he allegedly demanded a full refund. The executive agreed, issuing five checks between May 2022 and July 2023.

Prosecutors claim some checks were marked as "loan repayment" and "[company] expense" at Tompkins's direction to disguise the nature of some of the payments.

U.S. Attorney Leah Foley wrote in a statement that elected officials, particularly those in law enforcement, are expected to be ethical, honest and law-abiding, "not self-serving." 

"His alleged actions are an affront to the voters and taxpayers who elected him to his position, and the many dedicated and honest public servants at the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department. The people of Suffolk County deserve better," Foley wrote. "Public corruption remains a top priority for my administration, and we will continue to investigate and prosecute anyone who uses their position of trust and power for their own gain."

FBI Boston special agent in charge Ted Docks added the act was "clear-cut corruption."

"From his very first day as Suffolk County Sheriff, Steven Tompkins sought to portray himself as a man of the people-a principled public servant and reformer, devoted to the cause of justice. That's why it's beyond disappointing that he's now accused of gaming a system instituted in the interests of public safety and fair play," Docks wrote in a statement. "We believe what the Sheriff saw as an easy way to make a quick buck on the sly is clear-cut corruption under federal law. The citizens of Suffolk County deserve better, not a man who is accused of trading on his position to bankroll his own political and financial future. Public servants must be held to the highest of ethical standards, and those falling short will be rooted out."

Tompkins, who faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison for each count, will appear in Boston federal court at a later date.