Kashawn McKinley, 42, Atlantic City’s Director of Constituent Services, is facing federal charges over an alleged bribery scheme involving a cannabis retailer in the city, according to a DOJ announcement. McKinley is a member of Atlantic City’s Cannabis Review Board and serves on the Atlantic City Board of Education.
McKinley has been a prominent figure in the city’s cannabis scene, frequently going by the nickname “Cannabis Kash” and calling himself the “cannabis czar” of Atlantic City, according to coverage by BreakingAC. He faces one count of honest services fraud and two counts of soliciting bribes.
Prosecutors accuse McKinley of soliciting $20,000 in bribes from 2022 to 2023, and another $9,000 from 2025 to 2026. The complaint does not name the other individual involved.
According to the complaint, the bribes were to cover help with launching a cannabis dispensary in the city and resolving certain local fees. The charges stem from a federal investigation into the alleged scheme.
The case has drawn attention because of McKinley’s dual role as a city official and a member of the board that oversees cannabis licensing in Atlantic City.
The complaint also alleges that McKinley directed the individual to physically assault another business owner. Prosecutors say he expressed satisfaction after seeing photo evidence of the injured victim.
As payment for the assault, McKinley reclassified the dispensary as a cannabis microbusiness, according to prosecutors. That reclassification reduced its annual city fees from $25,000 to $2,500.
Prosecutors described the fee reduction as compensation tied to the assault. The alleged arrangement connected the violence directly to official action on the dispensary’s licensing status.
The complaint outlines a series of payments and official favors exchanged over several years.
The identity of the business owner who was allegedly assaulted has not been disclosed in the complaint.
The honest services fraud charge carries a sentence of up to 20 years’ imprisonment and up to $250,000 in fines. Each of the two bribery charges carries a sentence of up to 10 years’ imprisonment and up to $250,000 in fines.
The case is being prosecuted federally.
McKinley’s status on the Cannabis Review Board and the Board of Education following the charges has not been detailed in the announcement. The DOJ announcement did not specify a court date.
The case highlights the oversight role of Atlantic City’s Cannabis Review Board in local licensing decisions. The board reviews cannabis business applications in the city.
Further proceedings in the federal case will determine the outcome of the charges against McKinley.
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