Atlantic City Director of Constituent Services Kashawn McKinley is facing federal charges over an alleged bribery scheme involving a cannabis retailer in the city, according to a DOJ announcement.
McKinley, 42, is a member of Atlantic City’s Cannabis Review Board and the self-proclaimed “cannabis czar” of Atlantic City, frequently going by the nickname “Cannabis Kash” according to coverage by BreakingAC. He also serves on the Atlantic City Board of Education.
McKinley faces one count of honest services fraud and two counts of soliciting bribes, with prosecutors accusing 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, but says the bribes were to cover help with launching a cannabis dispensary in the city and resolving certain local fees. The complaint also alleges that McKinley directed the individual to physically assault another business owner, and that he expressed satisfaction after seeing photo evidence of the injured victim. Prosecutors said that as payment for the assault, McKinley reclassified the dispensary as a cannabis microbusiness to reduce its annual city fees from $25,000 to $2,500.
The honest services fraud charges carry a sentence of up to 20 years’ imprisonment and up to $250,000 in fines, while the two bribery charges each carry a sentence of up to 10 years’ imprisonment and up to $250,000 in fines.
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