Court documents show U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan II last week received a plea deal reached between federal prosecutors and Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens III, an elected Democrat who was indicted in 2024 for his role in a bribery scandal that allegedly also included the former Mayor of Jackson and two members of the Jackson City Council.
Owens (pictured above) and his alleged co-conspirators are accused of engaging in a bribery conspiracy after two undercover FBI agents posed as developers pursuing development opportunities related to a hotel in downtown Jackson, Mississippi. According to prosecutors, Owens played a central role in the conspiracy, soliciting or accepting at least $115,000 in bribes and facilitating over $80,000 to other elected officials.
Also indicted as part of the same case were former Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, who pledged to make Jackson into “the most radical city on the planet” after winning the election in 2017, and former Jackson City Council member Aaron Banks, who served as the body’s president in 2020-21 and 2023-24.
Charged separately were businessman Sherik Marve Smith and a second former council member, Angelique Lee, who both pleaded guilty before the indictment against Owens, Lumumba, and Banks was unsealed.
Lumumba and Banks are accused of participating in a conspiracy to commit federal-program bribery, honest-services wire fraud, and money laundering. Lumumba is additionally accused of accepting a $50,000 bribe, allegedly disguised and laundered through his campaign bank account, while Banks is accused of soliciting a $50,000 bribe and accepting a $10,000 cash payment.
Previously the head of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Mississippi office, Owens was elected to office in 2019. He was most recently reelected in 2023 to a four-year term, but announced his resignation late last month.
“I officially submitted my resignation as Hinds County District Attorney, effective July 1, 2026. This was one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made,” wrote Owens in a post to Facebook, describing what would come next as a new “chapter” for his family.
“As we begin this next chapter, I ask only that you continue to keep our family in your prayers. We are hopeful for what lies ahead, confident that God is faithful, and excited to see what He has planned next,” wrote Owens.
The plea agreement Owens reached with prosecutors states that he acknowledges the penalty for his crime includes a potential sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. It also suggests Owens may be sentenced to pay restitution.
Jackson is just three hours south of Memphis, where a grand jury recently returned an unrelated federal indictment alleging Shelby County General Sessions Clerk Tami Sawyer engaged in “significant” public corruption involving the theft of public funds. Last month, Sawyer was temporarily suspended after appearing in court.
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
