Virginia Senate Leader Louise Lucas Indicted on Racketeering and Marijuana Charges

A federal grand jury has indicted Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas, the president pro tempore of the state Senate and one of the most powerful Democrats in Virginia, on racketeering, marijuana distribution and money laundering charges. Lucas, 82, surrendered to authorities on Thursday morning, a Justice Department spokesperson said. Seven people are charged in all, among them her two daughters and her grandson.

The charges are racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to possess and distribute marijuana, and conspiracy to launder money. The case centers on The Cannabis Outlet, a marijuana shop Lucas co-owns on High Street in Portsmouth. Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel were scheduled to present the case at a news conference in Norfolk on Thursday.

What the indictment alleges

Prosecutors say Lucas ran her businesses with a close group of family members and associates, buying and selling illegal amounts of marijuana to build the family's wealth. FBI Director Kash Patel called it a "criminal marijuana enterprise." The indictment says she sought "generational wealth" and used her political position "to insulate the Lucas enterprise from criminal scrutiny" and to win legislation that benefited the enterprise. Patel said she used her post as chairwoman of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee to shield the business and to influence legislation for the group's benefit.

A license deal and a payment

A second part of the case concerns a state marijuana license. Prosecutors allege Lucas paid $750,000 for full ownership of a shell holding company that was created so a co-conspirator could gain a Virginia license to sell marijuana. The Justice Department says she later received what it called a "bribery payment" from the co-conspirator for her efforts.

The department says Lucas did not report her interest in the company on the Statement of Economic Interests forms that Virginia legislators are required to file. It alleges she met the co-conspirator at her office in the state Capitol complex to receive part of a repayment, and that she spoke with other officials, including fellow legislators, about the co-conspirator's qualification for a recreational license while the payment was still part of the arrangement.

A probe that began under Biden

The investigation began under President Joe Biden. Earlier this year, FBI agents executed search warrants at two of Lucas's marijuana shops, and the indictment says agents recovered marijuana and firearms from both stores. In May, agents also searched her office in Portsmouth and The Cannabis Outlet, NBC News reported.

Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, a Virginia Democrat, said his communications with Lucas were monitored during the investigation. He accused the Justice Department of acting as President Donald Trump's "own personal law firm," with his former personal attorney carrying out vendettas against political enemies.

Twelve days before the midterms

The charges arrive 12 days before the November 3 midterm elections. Federal authorities have usually avoided public investigative steps against political figures this close to an election. Lucas is not up for reelection this year, but she has close ties to Democrats who are on the ballot.

Lucas was first elected to the Virginia Senate in 1991 and is a frequent critic of President Trump. She has long pushed to legalize marijuana in Virginia. The state allows marijuana to be dispensed for medical purposes, but it does not allow recreational dispensaries, and marijuana remains illegal under federal law outside limited research. CNN and NBC News sought comment from Lucas, her office and her legal counsel, with no response in the first reports.

An indictment is an allegation, not a conviction. Lucas is presumed innocent unless prosecutors prove the charges in court.