Sheriff Tompkins Faces Extortion Trial | Boston News

Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins, a longtime Democrat and veteran law enforcement official, is set to go on trial August 24th facing federal extortion charges tied to his alleged demands for a $50K equity stake from cannabis executive Frank Perullo — and later a refund when the stock value plummeted. Prosecutors say Perullo feared losing Ascend’s licenses without compliance, while Tompkins’ defense, led by a high-profile lawyer known for the Karen Read case, argues their ongoing relationship — including campaign shirt exchanges and Perullo’s appointment of a former sheriff who backed Tompkins — proves no coercion occurred. With Tompkins already on leave since his arrest last August and having stepped down from a community college board, this two-week trial could expose deep ties between Boston politics and the booming marijuana industry — and reveal whether these powerful figures will testify. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/078e4d33a1ff9d11