Sen. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) watches as the Legislature reconvenes to vote on Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s Virginia budget amendment at the Virginia State Capitol on Monday, June 29, 2026 in Richmond, Va. (Mike Kropf/Richmond Times via Getty Images)
Mike Kropp | Richmond Times – Dispatch | Getty Images
Virginia Sen. L. Louise Lucas was indicted on federal charges in a marijuana racketeering conspiracy that included family members of prominent Democrats, according to court documents released Thursday.
Lucas, 82, has been a critic of President Donald Trump and was the architect of Virginia’s ultimately failed effort to redraw the state’s congressional maps in November to give Democrats a better chance of winning those districts.
The criminal case, which also indicts Lucas’ family, was made public by the Justice Department less than two weeks before the midterm elections. These contests determine which political parties control both houses of Congress.
Lucas, president pro tempore of the state Senate and chairman of the Finance and Appropriations Committee, is not participating in this year’s vote. She was elected to the Senate in 1991.
The indictment alleges that Lucas “was the leader of this enterprise,” “arranged the acquisition and distribution of marijuana, supervised the laundering of marijuana proceeds,” and “used her political influence to seek to influence Virginia law for her own benefit and that of her family to maintain the premises of marijuana distribution.”
Six other defendants have been charged in the scheme, including Lucas’ two daughters and grandson. One of his daughters, Lisa Lucas Burke, is running for mayor of Portsmouth.
Attorney General Todd Blanche announced at a press conference Thursday that Lucas is being held along with the other defendants. She is scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge in U.S. District Court in Norfolk, Virginia, on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. ET.
“Today, the full power of the FBI, the Department of Justice, and the federal government was exercised against my 82-year-old great-grandmother,” Lucas said in a statement posted to X.
“I grew up under Jim Crow, and I saw what happens when those in power try to silence those who stand against them. I spent my life fighting back, and I’m not going to stop now,” she said. “I will not be intimidated. I will not be bullied. And I will not back down.”
“We’re not doing any political payback,” Blanche said at a news conference, when asked about Lucas’ lawyers’ criticism that the case was politically motivated.
The attorney general noted that the investigation into Lucas began before the current Trump administration, and that a federal grand jury determined there was enough evidence to indict her.
“There are decisions and processes in place at the department when it comes to prosecuting political officials, and…the first question is: Is this investigation appropriate?” Blanche said. “The bottom line is yes. Is the timing right? And the bottom line is yes.”
The indictment was issued by a grand jury on Oct. 14, but was only unsealed on Thursday.
The charges come five months after FBI agents executed a search warrant at Lucas’ Portsmouth office.
At the time of the May 6 raid, Lucas said in a statement, it was two weeks after Virginia voters approved the redistricting plan, adding: “Virginians sent a strong message that they voted to stop Trump’s plan to manipulate the 2026 midterm elections.”
“I was proud to lead that effort, and I was never afraid to stand up to Donald Trump.”
