NORFOLK, Va. (WRIC) -- Sen. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) has been indicted on several federal charges in connection with allegations of money laundering and marijuana drug trafficking. Court records show that Lucas was indicted by a grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia on Wednesday, Oct. 1 4, for five felony charges, including racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute marijuana, conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud through bribery and maintaining a drug-involved premises. Six other people are also facing federal charges, including Lucas' daughters, Lisa Lucas Burke and Theresa Lucas-Lamb, her grandson Ryan Eichelberger, as well as Prince Albert William Hudson, III, Tameka Johnson and Lucas' former business partner, Carlton Upton, Jr. A warrant was issued for the arrest of Lucas and those six others on Thursday, Oct. 14, according to court records. The defendants are slated for an initial court appearance in Norfolk at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22. Before her court appearance, the Department of Justice (DOJ) began holding a press conference in Norfolk announcing her charges. During the press conference, DOJ spokespeople said that according to the indictment, Lucas led a criminal enterprise with family members and associates. She allegedly approved and directed activities of the enterprise, including arranging for the acquisition and distribution of 100 kilograms or more of marijuana and supervising the laundering of marijuana proceeds. FBI Director Kash Patel shared the following statement, in part, during the press conference: “Today’s indictment reveals Louise Lucas allegedly abused her position of public trust as a 30-year Virginia State Senator to put her own financial interests ahead of the people she represents — orchestrating a five-year scheme worth an estimated $4.5 million,” Patel said. “The charges allege Lucas and a close-knit group of family members and associates used Lucas’ position as Chairwoman of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee to protect their criminal marijuana enterprise — the ‘Lucas Enterprise’ — insulating the business from criminal scrutiny and influencing legislation to financially benefit themselves.” Lucas was elected to the Senate of Virginia in 1991, has served as the president pro tempore since 2020, and is currently the Chairman of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee. The DOJ alleged that Lucas used her political position to insulate her alleged criminal enterprise from criminal scrutiny and to influence legislation benefiting the enterprise. In a press release, the DOJ said Upton was Lucas' business partner in VA Freedom Life, an umbrella for The CBD Shoppe and The Cannabis Outlet beginning in 2019. The DOJ further said Upton also managed the CBD Shoppe and allegedly worked with Lucas to obtain a recreational marijuana license to benefit the Lucas Enterprise. In April 2020, the DOJ said Upton allegedly made false claims on an application for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) for Virginia Freedom Life, which was funded for $11,800. The DOJ said that in 2021, Lucas and her daughter, Lucas-Burke, opened The Cannabis Outlet in Portsmouth, Virginia. Another daughter of Lucas, Lucas-Lamb, and Lucas-Lamb’s son, Eichelberger, allegedly acquired marijuana and supervised its distribution and managed The Cannabis Outlet for the alleged criminal enterprise, according to the DOJ. On Feb. 1, 2022, the DOJ said Lucas listed herself as President and CEO of VA Freedom Life on the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory General Assembly Statement of Economic Interests form. In August 2022, Lucas allegedly paid $750,000 for a 100% stake in a business that was the shell holding company for a co-conspirator’s expected Virginia recreational marijuana license, the DOJ said. Lucas allegedly did not report the funds obtained in this business on her required Statement of Economic Interests forms. The DOJ said Lucas allegedly met with the co-conspirator at her office at the Capitol complex to receive a partial repayment and spoke with other officials, including legislators, about the co-conspirator’s qualification for a recreational marijuana license depending on her receipt of a bribery payment from the co-conspirator. Lucas shared the following statement to her social media on Thursday: "Today, the FBI, the Department of Justice and the full weight of the federal government have been wielded against an 82-year-old great-grandmother. I grew up under Jim Crow. I've seen what happens when people in power try to silence those who stand up to them. I spent my life fighting back, and I'm not stopping now. I'm not new to this. I'm true to this. I will not be intimidated. I will not be bullied. And I will not back down." Sen. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) It's worth noting that the charges come less than two weeks before the Nov. 3 elections, though Lucas' seat is not up for a vote. Her arrest comes roughly five months after her office and business were raided by the FBI back in May. State leaders, legislators react to Lucas' indictment State leaders and legislators are sharing their reactions to the accusations Lucas faces. 8News will continue to make updates to this article throughout the day as responses come out. Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) shared the following statement with 8News: "I have read the charging document alleging a series of criminal acts by a member of the Virginia Senate. In our American system of justice, people are presumed innocent until proven guilty, and that is true for Senator L. Louise Lucas. She and her family deserve the opportunity to present their defense and speak to the allegations presented. The timing of this indictment undermines the U.S. Department of Justice’s previously longstanding policy of not taking legal actions — to include indictments or significant investigative steps — close to an election and sadly, this timing further erodes the trust the American people deserve to have in the Department of Justice." Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle (R-Hanover) Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle (R-Hanover) posted the following statement on X: "The federal indictment contains serious allegations and the justice system will continue to do its job and get to the bottom of it. While the constitutional process plays out, I will have no additional comment. Virginia Senate Republicans continue to focus on state legislative policies that will make the lives of Virginia families more affordable. Delivering real results on keeping more money in your pocket is where our attention stays." Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax) Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax) shared the following statement with 8News: "Senator L. Louise Lucas has been a historic figure in Virginia politics. She has served the people of Portsmouth and the Commonwealth in the Senate of Virginia since 1991, and she has led the Senate as President Pro Tempore. Her service has shaped the Commonwealth for more than three decades, and I am proud to call her a colleague and a friend. The federal indictment unsealed this week contains serious allegations, and Senator Lucas is entitled to the same presumption of innocence that every American receives. She is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. I will not comment on the evidence in this case, and I urge others to show the same restraint. It has been apparent from the beginning that this matter has been driven by politics. When agents searched her office, Fox News was tipped off in advance. The Department of Justice is led by the President’s former personal attorney, and this prosecution is being brought by the most corrupt administration in American history. The leadership of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia has also been unstable. Lindsey Halligan was installed to lead the office, and a federal judge ruled that her appointment was unlawful. She then left the office. Federal law provides that U.S. Attorneys are nominated by the President and confirmed by the full Senate. That process gives Virginia's senators a voice in who holds this office, and it is a safeguard against undue influence by the Department of Justice or the administration over prosecutions in our Commonwealth. Leaving the office to acting or interim officials, rather than nominating a qualified candidate for confirmation, bypasses that safeguard. Senator Lucas has the right to defend herself, and she has my full support as she does so. I will continue to focus on the work of the Senate Democratic Caucus and the Commonwealth while this case proceeds through the courts." House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore (R-Scott) House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore (R-Scott) shared the following statement with 8News: "The charges against Senator Lucas are serious, and go beyond the world of politics. They will be resolved via our judicial system, as they should. House Republicans will continue to do what we’ve been doing all along: working to make life more affordable for all Virginians.” Speaker of the House Don Scott (D-Portsmouth) Speaker of the House Don Scott (D-Portsmouth) shared the following statement with 8News: "Senator Lucas has spent decades serving the people of Portsmouth and the Commonwealth of Virginia, and she is entitled to due process and the presumption of innocence," Scott said. "The Trump administration’s weaponization of the justice system is deeply troubling — as are the allegations made in this indictment. Today we have heard only from the Trump administration, and Senator Lucas will have her chance to respond to these charges in court." Del. Wren Williams (R-Patrick) Del. Wren Williams (R-Patrick) told 8News that, while Lucas is innocent until proven guilty, she should resign. He further added that the investigation into Lucas started under former president Joe Biden. "Her text messages are damning, in my opinion, they've got a lot of information in there about sort of pay-to-play, and that's just sort of up there on the heinous list of politicians, especially somebody who sits on Appropriations, and for that long," Wren said. Virginia State senators, U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott (D) State Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Democratic Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-03) shared the following joint statement with 8News: "Allegations of criminal wrongdoing must be taken seriously. As always, the Justice Department must follow the facts and those charged with crime are innocent until proven guilty. The timing of this announcement, just 12 days before an election, certainly raises questions about the DOJ’s motivations." No additional information is available as of the time of reporting. This is a developing story. Stay with 8News for updates. ...read more read less