FBI Director Kash Patel dropped the hammer this week on a corrupt sanctuary sheriff in Boston who has been accused of leveraging his powerful position to extort tens of thousands of dollars from a cannabis executive seeking to gain approval to operate.

According to Fox News, Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins, 67, was placed in cuffs on Friday morning in the Southern District of Florida following a grand jury indictment. 

The sanctuary sheriff was nailed by the grand jury "on two counts of extortion under color of official right, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts," the outlet reported.

Tompkins reportedly oversees about 1,000 employees in the Boston area.

What's happening?

Director Patel, one of President Donald Trump's finest law enforcement picks, explained to Fox News Digital the importance of having Tompkins charged, especially given his position as a high-ranking local law enforcement official.

"When someone entrusted with enforcing the law is accused of breaking it for personal gain, it undermines the public’s trust in every honest officer who wears the badge," Patel told the outlet.

"The FBI will pursue corruption at every level, because no one is above the law. The people of Suffolk County, and the country, deserve leaders who serve them, not themselves."

The official U.S. Attorney Massachusetts X account released a statement regarding the arrest and charging of Tomkins.

#ICYMI Sheriff Steven Tompkins, the sitting Sheriff for Suffolk County in Massachusetts, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for alleged extortion.

Read more here: https://t.co/ufz8i5281U pic.twitter.com/NIYsVIOnxu

— U.S. Attorney Massachusetts (@DMAnews1) August 8, 2025

Tompkins, a Democratic operative disguised as a sheriff, is no stranger to the headlines, as Fox News reported:

He made headlines in 2019 after booting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents out of the county jail, signing an eviction notice that required hundreds of illegal immigrant detainees to be moved out within 60 days, according to a report from the Boston Herald.

Social media responds

Users across social media weighed in on the charges and the arrest.

"One down, thousands more to go in the most corrupt state in the union. Ps, where is our audit we voted for?" one X user wrote.

Another X user wrote, "This is the filthy fabric that has been woven into the normal operations of every day life in Massachusetts. There is absolutely nothing in Massachusetts government that isn’t tainted by bribes, theft, embezzlement, and other forms of corruption. Suffolk County=tip of iceberg."

It'll be interesting to see if Tompkins is held accountable if he's proven to have done what he's charged with.