‘I’ve Gotten Too Old To Not Be Greedy’: Feds Hit Senior Democrat With Pot-Fueled Racketeering Charges
By Ashley Brasfield
Democratic Virginia state Sen. Louise Lucas has been indicted by federal prosecutors Thursday in connection with an alleged bribery and racketeering scheme. Lucas is the President Pro Tempore of the Virginia State Senate.
A law enforcement source confirmed to the Daily Caller the X post from Virginia Scope reporter Brandon Jarvis that members of Virginia state Sen. Louise Lucas’ family were given until 9 a.m. Thursday to turn themselves in.
Sources tell me that members of Sen. Louise Lucas’ family have already been arrested. Sen. Lucas was given until 9 am today to turn herself in. Press conference with the US AG and FBI director is at 10 am.
— Brandon Jarvis (@Jaaavis) October 22, 2026
The source also confirmed that Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel are scheduled to hold a press conference at 10 a.m. Thursday.
According to a 45-page indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Lucas and six co-defendants face charges including conspiracy to distribute marijuana, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering and bribery. Prosecutors allege the defendants distributed large quantities of illegal marijuana through Lucas’ medical cannabis business.
Lucas, 82, surrendered to law enforcement Thursday morning and faces five of the eight charges outlined in the indictment, according to a CBS News report.
Federal agents searched Lucas’ office and The Cannabis Outlet, a Portsmouth, Virginia, shop she co-owns, six months ago.
In a statement following her arrest, Lucas, 82, called the investigation an attack by the federal government, saying, “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.”
Lucas invoked her experience growing up under Jim Crow, saying, “I’ve seen what happens when people in power try to silence those who stand up to them.”
“I spent my life fighting back, and I’m not stopping now,” Lucas continued. “I’m not new to this. I’m true to this. I will not be intimidated. I will not be bullied. And I will not back down.”
https://t.co/hKT5NbUXpa
— L. Louise Lucas (@SenLouiseLucas) October 22, 2026
Lucas, a powerful Virginia state senator and outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, played a central role in the state’s redistricting effort last year.
Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia allege that Lucas led the scheme beginning in at least 2019, using her political influence to advance legislation and regulations that benefited her financially while shielding the alleged operation from state law enforcement, according to CBS News.
The indictment alleges Lucas sought to build generational wealth for her family. During a February 2026 conversation with an unindicted co-conspirator about the language of recreational marijuana legislation, the potential issuance of a license to the co-conspirator and the sharing of proceeds, Lucas allegedly said, “This is our last chance at generational wealth … I’ve got too old to not be greedy.”
Prosecutors further allege Lucas directed the enterprise’s purchase and sale of more than 100 kilograms of illegal marijuana. Prosecutors indicted her alongside her daughters, Lisa-Lucas Burke and Theresa Lucas-Lamb, her grandson, Ryan Eichelberger, and several other co-defendants.
Medical marijuana can be sold by licensed dispensaries in Virginia, and residents are allowed to possess a limited amount for personal use. The state is set to begin regulated recreational marijuana sales next year after the legislature legalized the sale of recreational cannabis in July.
Lucas has long supported marijuana legalization, sponsoring a bill in the state Senate in 2021 and backing other measures to decriminalize the drug, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
Prosecutors allege that The Cannabis Outlet, a Portsmouth shop Lucas co-owns, received violation notices from Virginia’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in 2023 and 2024 for selling cannabis products that violated state law.
The Caller reached out to the Department of Justice for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
