Steven Tompkins, the Sheriff of Suffolk County, Massachusetts since 2013, was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Friday morning, the US Attorney’s Office in Boston announced.
Tompkins faces two counts of extortion charges in Massachusetts linked to his dealings with a local cannabis company.
The 67-year-old, who was re-elected for a six-year term in 2022, was arrested in Florida and will be brought back to Boston later, according to the statement from the attorney’s office.
🚨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
Who Is Steven Tompkins?
According to his biography on the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department website, Steven W. Tompkins has been a member of the department since 2002. He rose through the ranks to become Sheriff on January 22, 2013, after being appointed by then-Governor Deval Patrick.
As Sheriff, Tompkins oversees around 1,000 employees, including those at the Suffolk County House of Correction, the Suffolk County Jail, and the Civil Process Division.
He has served as President of the Massachusetts Sheriff’s Association and held leadership roles including Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Roxbury Community College and previously as Vice President of Region 1 for the National Organization of Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE).
Charges Against Steven Tompkins
The Attorney’s Office in Boston alleges that Sheriff Tompkins committed extortion in his dealings with a local cannabis business owner.
According to the statement, the incidents began in November 2020, when Tompkins allegedly pressured the owner to sell him $50,000 worth of stocks in the company. He purchased the stocks at $1.73 per share before the firm went public in 2021.
When the company went public, the value of Tompkins’ investment had grown to $138,403. However, in May 2022, the share price dropped significantly, leaving him with “several thousand dollars” in losses, according to the statement.
Tompkins then allegedly demanded a refund of his $50,000 investment and extorted the amount from the owner, despite the shares being worth less. Records indicate the money was paid back in five installments between May 2022 and July 2023. These payments were disguised as ‘loan repayment’ and ‘[company] expense’ in company records, the statement said.
