Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins was arrested by the FBI on August 8, 2025, in Florida on two counts of federal extortion, charged with pressuring a Boston-based cannabis company for a $50,000 stock deal. The arrest has drawn attention due to Tompkins’s refusal to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on deportations, aligning with Boston’s sanctuary city policies. While some sources suggest the arrest is tied to his non-cooperation with ICE, the charges focus solely on the extortion scheme, where Tompkins allegedly leveraged his authority to secure 14,417 pre-IPO shares in 2020, valued at $9.60 each by 2021.
Tompkins, a Democrat who has led the Sheriff’s Department since 2013, has been a vocal critic of ICE detainer requests, arguing they undermine community trust. Boston’s Trust Act, reaffirmed in 2024, limits local police cooperation with ICE to serious criminal cases, a stance Mayor Michelle Wu has upheld. The arrest has fueled speculation of political motives, with critics of the Trump administration suggesting it targets sanctuary city officials. U.S. Attorney Leah Foley emphasized the charges as a stand against corruption, with Tompkins facing up to 20 years per count. The case, set for arraignment in Boston, raises questions about federal overreach versus local autonomy in immigration policy.
