The star prosecution witness in the federal corruption trial of Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins read aloud private texts and emails the two exchanged over the years, writing at one point about his “love” for the man he’s now testifying against.
Prosecutors asked the witness, Frank Perullo, a cannabis executive, to read aloud several of the exchanges, highlighting what they said was the close friendship he shared with Tompkins.
Prosecutors allege that Tompkins, as sheriff, pressured Perullo to sell him $50,000 of stock before Perullo’s company, Ascend Wellness Holdings, went public. And when the stock value plummeted, Tompkins allegedly demanded the full amount of the investment back, rather than eat the loss…