Latest news with #SuffolkCountySheriff
Yahoo
08-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sheriff charged with extorting $50,000 from marijuana business in Boston
Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins was arrested Thursday on federal extortion charges, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts. Federal prosecutors allege the 67-year-old Massachusetts sheriff had pressured a cannabis company executive for a secret investment deal worth $50,000. Tompkins, who had led the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department since 2013 and oversaw about 1,000 employees, was arrested in Florida and charged with two counts of extortion, the U.S. attorney's office said. According to federal court documents, Tompkins had used his position as sheriff to force his way into buying pre-IPO (initial public offering) stock in a Boston cannabis company at a discounted price. When the investment later lost value, prosecutors alleged he demanded and received a full refund of his money. The scheme started in 2019 when the cannabis company, which wasn't named in court documents, wanted to open a store in Boston, the indictment stated. The company needed Sheriff Tompkins' help, according to the indictment, as his department would refer former inmates to work at the store, which was required by the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission for their state license. MORE: DOJ issues subpoenas to NY AG Letitia James, including over Trump civil fraud case: Sources Federal investigators said Tompkins allegedly took advantage of this partnership. According to the indictment, he pressured a company executive, reminding them that he had helped with their license application. The executive feared Tompkins would end their partnership if they didn't give in to his demands for stock, prosecutors said. After getting the shares in November 2020, court documents showed Tompkins initially saw his $50,000 investment grow to about $138,000 when the company went public. However, when the stock price later fell, prosecutors alleged Tompkins demanded his money back. The executive paid him through five separate checks, with some labeled as "loan repayment" to hide what the payments were really for, according to the indictment. The executive agreed to the demands for repayment, fearing Tompkins would use his position to harm their business operations, according to the indictment. "What the Sheriff saw as an easy way to make a quick buck on the sly is clear cut corruption under federal law," FBI Boston Division Special Agent in Charge Ted E. Docks said in a statement. If found guilty, Tompkins could face up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine, according to the U.S. attorney's office. U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley said in a statement that the case showed her office's commitment to fighting public corruption. "Elected officials, particularly those in law enforcement, are expected to be ethical, honest and law abiding – not self-serving," Foley said in the press release. According to federal officials, Tompkins will first appear in court in Florida before facing the charges in Boston at a later date. ABC News reached out to Tompkins' attorney who did not immediately respond for comment. The Suffolk County Sheriff's Department declined to comment when contacted.
Associated Press
08-08-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Massachusetts sheriff arrested on charges of pressuring cannabis company to over stock purchase
BOSTON (AP) — A sheriff in one of Massachusetts' largest counties was charged Friday with allegedly pressuring a Boston-based cannabis firm to sell him stock in the company. Sheriff Steven Tompkins, 67, who oversees about 1,000 employees in the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department, is facing two counts of extortion. He was taken into custody in Florida and had his first appearance there. He will appear in Boston federal court later. 'Elected officials, particularly those in law enforcement, are expected to be ethical, honest and law abiding — not self-serving,' U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement. '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.' No one from the sheriff's department could be reached for comment and an attorney for Tompkins did not respond to a request for comment. According to the court documents, Tompkins first pressured the unnamed company for stock as it was considering launching an initial public offering in 2020. The company, according to the documents, feared Tomkins could undermine the company's partnership with a sheriff department program that referred released inmates to work there. It feared that could put the company's operating license risk as well as the timing of its initial public offering. In November, 2020, Tompkins allegedly wired $50,000 from his retirement account to an account controlled by the company to purchase the stock. After the initial public offering, the stock value increased significantly. But when it began to fall a year later, Tompkins alleged demanded his money back and, despite, the decline in the stock's value, the company gave him a full refund. Among the evidence in the court document was five checks written to Tompkins, with a note they were for a loan repayment. Tompkins has run afoul of the law before. In 2023, Tompkins paid a fine of $12,300 for violating conflict of interest laws after he created a position in his department for his niece and for asking his subordinates to run personal errands for him. If found guilty on the extortion charges, Tompkins could face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison on each count, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.
CBS News
08-08-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins indicted for allegedly extorting Boston cannabis company
Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins has been charged with extortion for his alleged dealings with a Boston-based cannabis company. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Boston said FBI agents arrested Tompkins Friday morning in Florida and brought him to court there. He will be brought back to Boston "at a later date," the office said in a statement. Tompkins, 67, allegedly gave the company, which was not identified in the indictment, $50,000 back in November 2020 to buy stock in the business. Prosecutors said he paid "approximately $1.73 per share" for the stock before the company's initial public offering (IPO). The company had a partnership with the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department, which "would help screen and refer graduates of its re-entry program to apply for work" at the company's retail store. When the company launched its IPO in 2021, the stock was worth $9.60 a share, meaning Tompkins's initial $50,000 investment of 14,417 shares was now worth $138,403. But, by May of 2022, the value of the stock had dropped so much Tompkins's investment "was worth several thousand dollars less than the $50,000 he originally invested," the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement. "However, Tompkins allegedly demanded a refund of $50,000 and, despite the decrease in the value of Tompkins's investment, Individual A agreed to Tompkins's demands for full repayment of $50,000." Tompkins allegedly got the money back in five separate checks from May 2022 to July 2023 "that read 'loan repayment' and '[company] expense' to disguise the nature of some of the payments," prosecutors said. He's now charged with two counts of extortion under color of official right. Tompkins has been Suffolk County Sheriff since 2013. He's in charge of nearly 1,000 correctional officers and other employees at facilities in Boston at the House of Correction and the Nashua Street Jail. He was re-elected to a six-year term in 2022. "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," said U.S. Attorney Leah Foley 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," said Ted Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Boston. The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office had no comment Friday when contacted by WBZ-TV.
The Drive
17-05-2025
- The Drive
PSA: Cops Don't Sell Repossessed Luxury Cars
The latest car news, reviews, and features. The seller, a police detective, seemed reputable. The goods were repossessed luxury cars that the department was looking to offload. The buyer forked over thousands of dollars. But there was no car and no cop, just a good old-fashioned scam. A Boston area man has pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud in which he scammed three prospective car buyers. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the 34-year-old from Quincy, Massachusetts, posed as a Boston Police Detective, a Massachusetts State Police Trooper, and a County Sheriff. The truth was he never held any of those positions. However, he had been an officer for the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department for six months. Nevertheless, he met with the prospective buyers at the Suffolk County House of Correction dressed in a convincing jail guard costume: an officer academy hoodie, blue tactical pants, and black boots. The scam artist purported to have access to repossessed vehicles, which he could sell at bargain prices. These included an Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. Although no physical vehicles were presented during these meetings, at least three people were swindled out of a cumulative $6,400, reports MassLive . The U.S. attorney's office press release states that 'individuals gave tens of thousands of dollars,' but did not specify beyond the three victims. His sentencing is scheduled for August, and as a result of the guilty plea, the man must forfeit his profits. Prosecutors ask that he also pay nearly $200,000 in restitution plus a fine, but that his sentence be on the 'low end' in terms of severity. The charge of wire fraud carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Got a tip? Email us at tips@ Beverly Braga has enjoyed an eventful career as a Swiss Army knife, having held roles as an after-school teacher, film critic, PR manager, transcriber, and video producer – to name a few. She is currently a communications consultant and freelance writer whose work has appeared in numerous outlets covering automotive, entertainment, lifestyle, and food & beverage. Beverly grew up in Hawaii but roots for Washington, D.C., sports teams.
