A prominent Massachusetts sheriff has been arrested after federal investigators allege he shook down a national cannabis retailer for more than $50,000 worth of stock before the firm went public.
The FBI said it arrested Steven Tompkins, the sheriff of Suffolk county – which encompasses Boston and the outlying counties of Chelsea and Revere – for allegedly threatening to revoke his office’s partnership with the company unless it agreed to the deal.
Tompkins was also accused of demanding to be repaid after the value of his shares in the cannabis company sank below his initial investment, according to court documents.
Agents took Tompkins into custody on Friday in Florida.
“Elected officials, particularly those in law enforcement, are expected to be ethical, honest and law abiding – not self-serving,” US attorney Leah Foley said in a statement.
An indictment against Tompkins, who has served as sheriff since 2013, charged him with two counts of extortion under color of official right. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
Described as a “ubiquitous