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 chargesSuffolk 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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