Atlantic City Official Demanded Bribes From Cannabis Shop, Feds Say

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ — An Atlantic City public official and school board member has been charged in a federal bribery case tied to a cannabis business, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for New Jersey.

Kashawn McKinley, 42, who serves as Atlantic City’s director of constituent services and a member of the Atlantic City Board of Education, was charged by complaint with honest services fraud and two counts of soliciting bribes. McKinley made his initial appearance Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sharon A. King in federal court in Camden.

According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court, McKinley solicited more than $20,000 in cash and marijuana from a cannabis business owner in exchange for official assistance connected to opening the business and addressing fees the owner owed to Atlantic City.

Federal prosecutors said that in one instance, McKinley received a bribe payment for helping get the cannabis business classified as a “micro” cannabis business rather than a standard cannabis business. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, that classification meant the business paid a $2,500 annual fee to renew its mercantile license instead of the $25,000 annual fee required for standard cannabis businesses.

The complaint also alleges McKinley sought payment in the form of services. Specifically, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in October 2025 McKinley directed the business owner to assault another person in exchange for official help resolving the fee disputes between the owner and Atlantic City.

When McKinley was later shown what appeared to be a photograph of the injured person, he expressed pleasure and told the business owner that, when it came to the fee disputes with Atlantic City, “you don’t have to worry about nothing,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The honest services fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Each bribery charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.