A federal grand jury has indicted Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas, one of the most powerful Democrats in the state Senate, on charges that she led a marijuana business that used her office to shield it from scrutiny.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced the eight-count indictment Thursday. It charges seven people, including Lucas, two of her daughters and a grandson. Townhall reported that Lucas was arrested.
What prosecutors allege
Prosecutors say Lucas, 82, of Portsmouth, ran what they call the “Lucas Enterprise.” The indictment says the group acquired and sold 100 kilograms or more of marijuana and laundered the money.
- Charges: Racketeering conspiracy, marijuana distribution conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, honest services fraud through bribery, maintaining drug-involved premises, firearms possession tied to drug trafficking and wire fraud. Not every defendant faces every count.
- The shops: Lucas and a daughter opened The Cannabis Outlet in Portsmouth in 2021. A business partner managed The CBD Shoppe. FBI agents searched both stores on May 6 and found marijuana and guns, according to the release.
- The license deal: Prosecutors say Lucas paid $750,000 in August 2022 for full ownership of a shell company tied to another person’s expected recreational marijuana license. They say she did not report it on her state economic interest forms.
- The alleged bribe: The indictment says Lucas met that person at her Capitol office to take a partial repayment. It says she spoke with other lawmakers about the person’s license while expecting a bribe.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the alleged scheme ran five years and was worth about $4.5 million. Attorney General Todd Blanche said the charges show “a public servant who put her own financial interests before the people she was elected to serve.”
Her role in Richmond
Lucas was first elected to the Virginia Senate in 1991. She has been president pro tempore since 2020 and chairs the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, which writes the state budget and tax policy. Prosecutors say she used that position to push laws and rules that helped the business.
Lucas responds
Lucas called the case an attack in a post on X. “Today, the FBI, the Department of Justice, and the full weight of the federal government have been wielded against an 82-year-old great-grandmother,” she wrote. She said she “will not be intimidated.”
Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell said the indictment “contains serious allegations” but said the matter “has been driven by politics,” Townhall reported.
An indictment is only an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The Justice Department has also brought other recent fraud cases, including a Massachusetts marriage fraud ring.
Sources: U.S. Department of Justice; Sen. L. Louise Lucas on X; Townhall.
