Indicted Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins, who is accused of using his position to extort an executive of a Boston cannabis company, has agreed to step away from his position while the case makes its way through federal court.
Gov. Maura Healey and Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell made the announcement Wednesday morning, calling the allegations against Tompkins “serious.”
“The Suffolk County Sheriff is responsible for managing more than a thousand employees, hundreds of inmates and programs that are essential to public safety and rehabilitation,” said Healey. “It is a full-time job that demands full time attention. The people of Massachusetts need to be able to trust in the integrity of the criminal justice system and that their elected officials are fully engaged in the work of serving the public.”
Healey and Campbell said the role will be temporarily filled by Special Sheriff Mark Lawhorne.
“This is the right step for the Sheriff’s Office and the public as a whole, as it avoids prolonged proceedings before the Supreme Judicial Court,” said Campbell.
Tompkins’ attorney said he decided to take a medical leave, following recommendation of his doctor.
“Sheriff Tompkins will use this time to meet the challenge resulting from a serious medical issue while he and I work to safeguard his freedom by preparing his defense to what we strongly contend is an unwarranted accusation,” attorney Martin Weinberg.
Federal prosecutors allege Tompkins pressured a cannabis executive to sell him $50,000 worth of stock before the company went public in 2020, and then demanded that be refunded after the shares decreased in value in 2022.
The extortion charges were made public on Aug. 8 after Tompkins was arrested by FBI agents in Florida. He has since been released. Tompkins pleaded not guilty last week.
Tompkins resigned from his position as chair of the board of Roxbury Community College in early August.
This is not the first time he has been under fire for ethical concerns. In 2023, Tompkins violated the state’s conflict of interest law and paid a $12,300 fine for creating a staff position for his niece. He also had her and other staff carry out personal tasks like his child care during their work hours.
In 2015, he also paid a $2,500 fine in a settlement to the State’s Ethics Commission for flashing his sheriff identification at multiple stores while asking store owners to take down campaign signs for his opponent during the 2014 special election.
