MA Sheriff Resigns from Roxbury Community College Board Following Extortion Charges
“We respect Sheriff Tompkins’ decision and are grateful for his years of dedicated advocacy, leadership, and commitment to Roxbury Community College”
You can read the backstory on this case here. This is the dirty side of MA politics.
Boston.com reports:
Suffolk Sheriff Tompkins resigns from Roxbury Community College board after extortion charges
Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins, a longtime leader facing federal charges for allegedly extorting a cannabis company, has resigned from Roxbury Community College’s Board of Trustees.
In a letter addressed to Governor Maura Healey, he formally resigned from his position of chair, effective Monday. Tompkins said he has “greatly appreciated” the experience. Governor Charlie Baker appointed Tompkins chair in 2019 after he served as a member beginning in 2013.
While Healey has not called for her fellow Democrat’s resignation, she said in a statement Wednesday that Tompkins “made the right decision by stepping down.”
Vice Chair Israul Marrero, a police officer, will serve as acting chair of the Board until Healey appoints a permanent chair, RCC and its Board of Trustees said in a statement.
“We respect Sheriff Tompkins’ decision and are grateful for his years of dedicated advocacy, leadership, and commitment to Roxbury Community College,” the statement said. “The RCC Board of Trustees will continue advancing the College’s mission by empowering our community through education.”
Tompkins was arrested in Florida Aug. 8 after a federal grand jury indicted him on two counts of extortion under color of official right. He’s accused of extorting $50,000 from an executive with an unnamed cannabis retailer that was seeking to open a dispensary in Boston.
Tompkins has been sheriff in Suffolk County since 2013 and was elected to another six-year term in 2022.
Federal prosecutors allege Tompkins pressured an executive with the cannabis company to sell him $50,000 worth of stock before the company went public. The company affected is Ascend Mass, part of Ascend Cannabis, according to multiple reports.
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Comments
Innocent until proven guilty
In the eyes of the law. In the eyes of the people, on the other hand…
“ This is the dirty side of MA politics.”
There’s a clean side?!?
“This is the dirty side of MA politics.”
If you had to pick up MA politics, you couldn’t find a side clean enough.
Neither the backstory nor this piece mentions whether he also resigned as Sheriff of Suffolk County. Has he? BTW Boston comprises most if not all of Suffolk County. So it is almost irrelevant as to whether Suffolk County is a sanctuary county because all of Boston is a sanctuary city.
as long as the prosecution of the tardo marches full steam ahead
they add in that they :
are grateful for his years of dedicated advocacy, leadership, and commitment to Roxbury Community College,” the statement
so that they dont investigate all his career which MIGHT ALSO BE TAINTED by criminal activity