By Sam Drysdale, State House News Service
Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins was acquitted by a federal jury Wednesday of corruption charges related to a cannabis investment, according to reports from inside the courtroom.
According to reports from WBUR and others, the federal jury deliberated for about three and a half hours before finding Tompkins not guilty on both counts. The U.S. attorney’s office had not publicly announced the verdict as of Wednesday afternoon.
Tompkins has maintained his innocence throughout the case.
Prosecutors alleged Tompkins used his position as Suffolk County sheriff to pressure a longtime friend, Frank Perullo, who is an executive and co-founder of Ascend Wellness Holdings, into selling him $50,000 in company stock before Ascend went public. They further alleged that after the stock declined in value, Tompkins used his position to obtain a full refund of his investment.
The case centered on two theories of extortion: extortion under the color of official right and extortion through fear of economic loss. Prosecutors argued that Perullo feared jeopardizing Ascend’s relationship with the sheriff’s department, including a partnership involving a reentry program, could hinder the company’s efforts to open a Boston dispensary.
In a motion for judgment of acquittal filed Sept. 1, Tompkins and his attorneys argued prosecutors had not presented sufficient evidence of a quid pro quo or corrupt intent. They also argued that there was insufficient evidence that Perullo reasonably feared economic harm or that Tompkins intended to create such fear.
A federal judge previously rejected Tompkins’ effort to dismiss the charges, ruling in March that a jury should decide whether he had used his office to pressure the cannabis company.
Tompkins, who has served as Suffolk County sheriff since 2013, went on leave from the position after his 2025 arrest in Florida. Special Sheriff Mark Lawnhorne has been overseeing the department during his absence.
