U.S. Lawyer Leah Foley has develop into the Massachusetts Democratic Occasion’s worst nightmare.
Foley nabbed one more highly effective Democratic elected official on Friday, indicting longtime Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins for extorting a Boston hashish firm govt.
Tompkins, who has loomed massive on the Boston political scene, allegedly demanded a $50,000 “pre-equity curiosity” within the hashish firm proper earlier than it went public with an IPO, in accordance with Foley’s workplace.
“His alleged actions are an affront to taxpayers who elected him to his place, and the various devoted and sincere public servants on the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Division,” Foley mentioned in an announcement.
Tompkins is probably the most distinguished Democrat in a string of indictments that Foley has secured this 12 months, together with Boston Metropolis Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson on a bribery cost and state Rep. Chris Flanagan on wire fraud.
Anderson ultimately resigned in shame and is awaiting sentencing. Flanagan continues to be holding on to his seat within the Legislature.
Foley has single-handedly performed extra injury to the state Democratic Occasion than the feeble Massachusetts Republican Occasion.
She has been a breath of contemporary air on this politically corrupt state, doing the job as a result of few have the heart to tackle the highly effective Democratic institution.
“Public corruption stays a prime precedence for my administration and we are going to proceed to research and prosecute anybody who makes use of their place of belief and energy for their very own acquire,” Foley mentioned.
Lawyer Basic Andrea Campbell has been a no-show on the subject of prosecuting political corruption, selecting as an alternative to challenge frivolous lawsuits in opposition to President Donald Trump.
The Tompkins case exposes the continued tradition of corruption in Massachusetts politics. It additionally exposes the corrupt hashish trade, the place a variety of politicians have tried to money in on the profitable enterprise.
Tompkins’ predecessor within the Sheriff’s workplace, Andrea Cabral, left to develop into a prime govt for a Boston space hashish firm, Ascend Hashish, which looms as a possible participant within the Tompkins case.
The indictment costs that Tompkins tried to bully a hashish govt to present him the early $50,000 fairness stake in trade for cooperating in a program the Suffolk Sheriff’s workplace was collaborating in with the corporate. The corporate was hiring ex-cons from jail to work for the hashish agency.
The indictment by no means names the hashish firm or govt, however in accordance with a 2018 story within the Boston Globe, Cabral’s firm “plans to work instantly with the Suffolk County Sheriff to rent folks not too long ago launched from jail as employees at its amenities.”
Cabral and Tompkins had been additionally school classmates and shut mates, in accordance with the story.
Tompkins “is downright enthusiastic in regards to the partnership,” the fawning Globe story went on to say.
“We’re a nation of second possibilities, or at the least that’s what they used to inform us,” Tompkins was quoted as saying. “If somebody who hasn’t had good alternatives in life can catch on and make a good residing? It’s superior. There’s no squeamishness on my half in any respect.”
Now we all know simply why Tompkins wasn’t so “squeamish.” He was allegedly planning to make a pile of money on the deal as nicely.
The scheme Tompkins allegedly got here up with to counterpoint himself by no means paid off, nonetheless.
The corporate’s inventory took a downturn after a couple of years, and Tompkins allegedly got here crawling again to the Hashish govt to present him again the cash he had misplaced, the indictment costs.
The manager paid again Tompkins the 50 grand in installments, in accordance with the feds.
What a pathetic solution to finish your political profession and wind up probably heading to jail.
It’s most likely becoming that when the feds caught Tompkins, he was nowhere close to doing his job in Massachusetts – they discovered him in Florida, escaping the native perp stroll. However don’t fear, he’ll get his day in court docket in Boston quickly.
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