Indictment ties Sheriff Tompkins to unnamed cannabis company, documents point to Ascend Wellness

BOSTON — A federal indictment alleges that Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins extorted a cannabis company to give him a sweetheart stock deal.

The indictment refers to the cannabis company only as “Company A” and states it was first licensed to operate in Boston around March 2021.

25 Investigates found details within the indictment and public records strongly suggest the company was Ascend-Mass LLC, a prominent player in the Massachusetts marijuana industry.

The indictment claims Tompkins used his position to pressure the company, which opened Boston’s first recreational marijuana shop, into granting him preferred stock and then Tompkins allegedly asked for money back after the stock went public and later dropped in value.

The stock performance details mentioned in the indictment include a one-time value of $9.60 a share matches the public stock performance of Ascend-Mass LLC’s parent company, Ascend Wellness Holdings.

The cannabis company had an agreement with Tompkins’ Sheriff’s office to hire former Suffolk County inmates with past drug convictions as a part of its “Plan for Positive Impact on Areas of Disproportionate Impact,” as required by the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC).

The indictment alleges the company feared Tompkins, “would use his official position as Sheriff to jeopardize Company A’s partnership” with the employment program if Tompkins’ demands were ignored.

CCC documents reveal that Andrea Cabral, who proceeded Tompkins as Suffolk County Sheriff, was the CEO of Ascend Mass, LLC when the company sought its Boston dispensary license. Cabral has also served as the Secretary of Public Safety for Massachusetts.

The indictment doesn’t mention Cabral or any other then-executives at Ascend.

In 2021, Tompkins was recorded in an interview with Cabral discussing the cannabis industry. During this conversation, Tompkins talked about the legality of marijuana, saying, “It’s legal in many states, but not federally if I understand correctly.” Cabral, who at the time was Ascend’s CEO, responded, “I’m sure that it never should have been illegal federally, but that’s a whole different story about wealth and power and how it’s exercised.”

25 Investigates attempted to reach Ascend Wellness Holdings, one of its local board members, and Andrea Cabral for comment, but none responded to calls or emails.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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