New federal charges were added to a sanctuary sheriff’s record of corruption as a grand jury indictment prompted his arrest for alleged extortion.
Friday in the Southern District of Florida, federal agents endeavored to hold a public official to the “highest of ethical standards” amid allegations he used his position “to bankroll his own political and financial future.” So it was that Massachusetts’ Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins was arrested under charges of extorting a cannabis company for $50,000.
According to the indictment, the unidentified company had entered into a partnership with the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department (SCSD) in 2019 to fulfill state requirements to open a dispensary in Massachusetts. Amid efforts at securing investments ahead of an initial public offering, it was alleged that Tompkins pressured an executive for pre-IPO stock, only to later demand a full repayment of his invested $50,000 after the value had decreased by May 2022.
A statement from Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division Ted E. Docks expressed, “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.”
Sharing the statement, Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin emphasized that even before the open borders policies of the Biden-Harris administration bolstered the efforts of so-called sanctuary cities and states across the country, “Sheriff Tompkins kicked ICE out of his jails in 2019.”
BREAKING: The FBI announces they’ve arrested Boston’s sanctuary sheriff on federal extortion charges. Suffolk County, MA Sheriff Steven Tompkins was arrested by federal agents in Florida today for allegedly extorting $50,000 from the owner of a national cannabis retailer wanting… pic.twitter.com/mT5TYRihkp
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) August 8, 2025
Docks went on to state, “The FBI took Sheriff Tompkins into custody for allegedly extorting $50,000 from the owner of a national cannabis retailer seeking to do business in Boston. 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,” added the official.
Prior to the federal grand jury indictment on two counts of Extortion Under Color of Official Right, Tompkins was made to pay a $12,300 civil penalty after creating a paid position in the Sheriff’s Department’s External Affairs Division for his niece and asking employees under his command to run personal errands for him between 2014-2022.
Further, the sheriff who favored sanctuary city policies and Black Lives Matter activism had been among the select guests of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s controversial “Electeds of Color Holiday Party” in 2023.
If convicted, the 67-year-old Tompkins faces up to 20 years in prison alongside three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 for each charge.
Among those reacting to the arrest, FBI Director Kash Patel expressed, “When someone entrusted with enforcing the law is accused of breaking it for personal gain, it undermines the public’s trust in every honest officer who wears the badge. The FBI will pursue corruption at every level, because no one is above the law.”
When someone entrusted with enforcing the law is accused of breaking it for personal gain, it undermines the public’s trust in every honest officer who wears the badge.
The FBI will pursue corruption at every level, because no one is above the law. pic.twitter.com/eIoS5NirOH
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) August 8, 2025
Literally did his job like a mob boss.
— MAZE (@mazemoore) August 8, 2025
There’s so much winning today, I can’t stop smiling. Watching so many Justice Trains FINALLY pull out of the station, is glorious!
— Voice of Sanity (@HouseofElon) August 8, 2025
If he had played nice with ICE, maybe they wouldn’t have noticed his other criminal behavior.
FAFO.
— Kevin M. Nelson (@KevinMNelsonUSA) August 8, 2025
All of these sanctuary city leaders should be investigated for being on the take. They won’t work with the Feds because they are crooked.
— KrisNVnmiP (@SophieMae1022) August 8, 2025
This is what I voted for!
— David Roth (@David_M_Roth) August 8, 2025
FAFO
— Bobwan (@BobHumphreys) August 8, 2025
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Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn’t researching current events and their impacts, you’ll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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