Virginia Democrat state Sen. Louise Lucas called a marijuana venture her “last chance at generational wealth” and said she had “got too old to not be greedy” during a wiretapped phone call, according to her federal indictment.
Lucas, 82, made the remarks during a February 9, 2026, call with an unindicted co-conspirator as they discussed pending recreational marijuana legislation and the possibility that the associate could obtain a license and share the proceeds with her, the indictment alleges.
“[T]his is our last chance at generational wealth,” Lucas allegedly said, before adding, “I’ve got too old to not be greedy.”
Lucas surrendered to federal authorities Thursday to face charges including racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute marijuana, conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and maintaining a drug-involved premises. Six other people, including members of her family, were also charged in the alleged scheme.
Prosecutors accuse Lucas, the president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate, of using her political position to protect an illegal marijuana operation. FBI Director Kash Patel said Lucas allegedly accumulated nearly $5 million in “ill-gotten gains” through the enterprise.
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The indictment describes another conversation, on March 9, in which Lucas allegedly told a fellow Virginia legislator she needed a marijuana license to start generating revenue.
“I got to get the license and I got to get the money rolling in because I want — I want to make generation, create some generational wealth,” Lucas allegedly said.
Lucas portrayed the prosecution as an effort to intimidate her.
“The full weight of the federal government has been wielded against an 82-year-old grandmother,” Lucas said in a social media statement after her arrest. She invoked her experience growing up under Jim Crow and vowed not to be intimidated.
Her attorneys said they were “surprised and disheartened” by the charges and argued that the Justice Department’s public announcement was highly unusual and misleading.
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, a fellow Democrat, said Lucas and her family members deserved an opportunity to defend themselves in court. She also argued that the timing of the charges, so close to an election, undermined public confidence in the Justice Department.
Lucas is not on the ballot this year, though her daughter and co-defendant Lisa Lucas-Burke is running for Portsmouth City Council. The investigation began during the Biden administration. Federal agents searched Lucas’ Portsmouth office and a cannabis dispensary connected to her in May as part of the public corruption investigation.
Lucas has previously faced criminal charges. In 2020, she was charged with felony conspiracy and damaging a monument following a protest at which a Confederate monument was vandalized. A judge later dismissed those charges.
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