Boston’s top jail official was arrested on federal extortion charges, accused of leveraging his authority to secure a pre-IPO stake from a cannabis company he helped get licensed, then demanding a refund when the stock value fell.
Key Facts:
- Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins, 67, was arrested Friday in Florida on two federal counts of extortion under color of official right.
- Prosecutors say he pressured a cannabis executive for $50,000 in pre-IPO stock after aiding the company’s licensing process.
- Tompkins allegedly demanded and received a full refund when the stock value dropped, disguising payments as “loan repayment” and “company expenses.”
- He previously drew attention in 2019 for evicting ICE from the county jail, forcing the removal of hundreds of illegal immigrant detainees.
- Tompkins faces up to 20 years in prison on each count.
The Rest of The Story:
Sheriff Steven Tompkins, in charge of more than 1,000 employees in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, was arrested after a federal grand jury indictment alleged he exploited his office for personal financial gain. Prosecutors say the scheme began in 2019, when a cannabis company partnered with the sheriff’s department to meet state licensing requirements under a Positive Impact Plan.
Court filings claim Tompkins used his role to pressure a company executive into giving him a $50,000 pre-IPO stock purchase. The executive allegedly feared losing both the license and the partnership if he refused.
In November 2020, Tompkins bought nearly 29,000 shares at $1.73 each; after a reverse split, he held 14,400 shares that briefly soared in value during the IPO.
When the stock later dropped below his initial investment, prosecutors say Tompkins demanded a full refund. Between May 2022 and July 2023, the executive issued five checks, some disguised at Tompkins’s direction to hide their true purpose.
Federal officials described the acts as “clear-cut corruption” and a breach of public trust.
🚨BREAKING: As a result of an FBI Boston investigation, Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins has been taken into custody in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for allegedly extorting $50,000 from the owner of a national cannabis retail company seeking to do business in Boston. Learn… pic.twitter.com/Pv4Hv4cfqd
— FBI Boston (@FBIBoston) August 8, 2025
Commentary:
When a law enforcement leader—elected to protect citizens—uses his power for personal profit those who serve under him and the general public feel betrayed.
As the county’s highest-ranking jailer, he was entrusted with enforcing the law, not exploiting it.
His 2019 decision to expel ICE from the Suffolk County Jail already demonstrated a willingness to defy federal law and undermine public safety.
That move forced the release of detainees—some suspected of more serious crimes than illegal entry—into the community with no way for federal authorities to deport them.
Now, this latest scandal reveals a man willing to sell influence and leverage taxpayer-funded authority to enrich himself.
Pressuring a business that depended on his office for compliance, then cashing in on the IPO, is a direct abuse of the public trust.
The fact that he demanded his money back when the investment soured only adds insult to injury.
This was not just unethical—it was calculated coercion, wrapped in the veneer of official authority.
When a sheriff acts this way, he doesn’t just tarnish his badge—he erodes faith in every honest law enforcement officer who still honors the oath.
Suffolk County residents were left with a leader who appeared to put his own bank account above their safety and above the law.
Such conduct must not be brushed aside as political misjudgment. It’s criminal behavior that placed the public at risk while padding his pockets.
Leaders like this set dangerous precedents if allowed to operate without consequence.
Tompkins should be prosecuted to the fullest extent the law allows. Anything less sends the message that powerful officials can game the system for personal gain while hiding behind the shield of public service.
The Bottom Line:
Steven Tompkins’s arrest is a reminder that even top law enforcement officials can abuse their positions for personal benefit.
His actions—booting ICE from his jail, endangering public safety, and coercing a private business—reflect a pattern of self-serving decisions.
If convicted, he faces decades in prison, a fitting consequence for someone who put personal profit over his oath to the people he was sworn to serve.
