Bribery charges brought against Mississippi mayor, prosecutor and council member

JACKSON, Miss. — The mayor of Mississippi’s capital, the top prosecutor of the state’s largest county and a Jackson city council member have been indicted on conspiracy and bribery charges in a case that has already forced the resignation of another city council member. Federal court records unsealed Thursday.

The charges against Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens and Jackson City Councilman Aaron B. Banks were brought after two men working for the FBI posed as real estate developers who wanted to build a hotel near the downtown convention center. According to court documents, Jackson made payments to officials, including $50,000 for the mayor’s re-election campaign.

Lumumba, Jody Owens and Banks are scheduled to make their first appearance before a magistrate judge on Thursday.

Lumumba released a video statement on Wednesday saying he had been sued and calling it a “political investigation” that would hurt his 2025 re-election campaign.

“My legal team notified me that federal prosecutors have indicted me on bribery and related charges,” said Lumumba, an attorney. “To be clear, I have never accepted bribes of any kind. “As mayor, I have always acted in the best interests of the city of Jackson.”

The Associated Press left a telephone message Thursday for Owens’ attorney, Thomas Gerry Bufkin. An attorney for Banks was not immediately listed in federal court documents.

Lumumba and Banks were elected in mid-2017. Owens was elected in 2019 and took office in 2020. All three are Democrats.

Jackson City Council member Angelique Lee, a Democrat first elected in 2020, resigned in August and pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges as a result of the same FBI investigation. His sentencing is scheduled for November 13.

In May, FBI agents raided Owens’ office and a cigar bar he owned in downtown Jackson. Among the items found at the district attorney’s office was a lockbox made to look like a book labeled the U.S. Constitution, containing approximately $20,000 in cash and displaying serial numbers confirming that approximately $9,900 was paid to Owens by the alleged developers. newly sealed indictment.

According to the indictment, Owens boasted to the alleged developers about his influence with Jackson officials and “facilitated the payment of over $80,000 in bribes” to Lumumba, Banks and Lee in exchange for their agreement to secure approval of the multimillion-dollar downtown development. The document also states that Owens “solicited and accepted at least $115,000 in cash and promises of future financial benefits” from the alleged developers to use his relationships with Lumumba, Banks and Lee and act as an intermediary in payments to them.

According to the indictment unsealed Thursday, Lumumba instructed a city employee to delay the deadline to support the alleged developer’s project, and Banks and Lee agreed to vote in favor of the project.

Sherik Marve Smith, an insurance broker and relative of Owens, waived the indictment and pleaded guilty to the federal bribery charge in the Oct. 17 case, according to court documents. He agreed to forfeit $20,000 and his sentencing was set in February. 19.

Smith conspired to give cash payments and campaign contributions to two Jackson elected officials, and the money came from developers who allegedly worked for the FBI, according to court documents.

According to the newly unsealed indictment, Owens, Lumumba, Smith and the alleged developers traveled to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in April on a private jet paid for by the FBI. During a meeting captured on audio and video aboard a yacht, Lumumba received five campaign checks for $10,000 each and called a Jackson city employee and instructed that person to delay the deadline for submitting proposals to develop the property near the convention center. It says in the indictment: The indictment states that the deadline was pushed back to benefit developers who allegedly worked for the FBI and possibly eliminate their competition.

The mayor said his legal team “will vigorously defend me against these charges.”

“We believe this is a political investigation against me, designed to destroy my credibility and reputation in society,” Lumumba said.