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Mayor Jackson Lumumba, DA Owens, Councilman Banks indicted

Online Niel November 8, 2024

In a shocking turn of events in the Jackson bribery scandal, three local leaders have been indicted on federal charges: Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Ward 6 Councilman Aaron Banks and Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens.

Lumumba, who announced his indictment in a video statement on Wednesday, will join Banks and Owens on Thursday in the Thad Cochran United States Court. The mayor, alderman and prosecutor are scheduled to appear in court at 1:30 a.m., according to court documents. The three leaders will face Magistrate Judge Lakeysha Greer Isaac.

Owens faces eight felony charges, Lumumba faces five felony charges and Banks faces two felony charges.

Owens faces one count of conspiracy, three counts of federal scheme bribery, one count of using an interstate facility in furtherance of racketeering, one count of wire fraud, one count of money laundering and one count of uttering fake. Lumumba faces one count of conspiracy, one count of bribery in the federal scheme, one count of using an interstate facility in support of the racket, one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Banks faces one count of conspiracy and three counts of bribery in the federal scheme.

The charges of Lumumba, Banks and Owens follow former Ward 2 Councilwoman Angelique Lee’s guilty plea in August. Lee pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery after accepting nearly $20,000 in “cash, deposits and other gifts.”

Two months later, Sherik Marve’ Smith, the second conspirator, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery as well. Smith’s guilty plea revealed that two more elected Jackson officials were implicated in the bribery scandal.

Charge details for District Attorney Jody Owens

According to the newly unsealed indictment, Owens facilitated more than $80,000 in bribe payments to Lumumba and Lee in exchange for their agreement to take official action on the city’s long-sought hotel development project across from the Jackson Convention Complex. It’s a project the city has been trying to build since the mid-2000s. The city released a statement of qualifications, or SOQ, on Jan. 31.

Owens accepted at least $115,000 in cash and “promises of future financial benefits” from two Nashville developers who turned out to be undercover FBI agents. The agents used Owen’s relationship with Lumumba and Lee “to act as an intermediary” for the bribe.

“Owens, Banks, Lumumba, Lee and Smith were unaware that the developers were in fact working for the FBI,” the indictment states.

Previously, Jackson’s two elected officials were known as “Unindicted Co-conspirator B” and “Unindicted Co-conspirator C.” A third conspirator was known as “Unindicted Co-conspirator A”.

Owens has now been officially revealed as “Unindexed Co-conspirator A”, Banks as “Unindexed Co-conspirator B” and Lumumba as “Unindexed Co-conspirator C”.

On Jan. 11, Banks allegedly demanded $50,000 in exchange for his future vote in favor of the bogus real estate company “developers” bidding on the city’s SOQ. In February, Banks allegedly accepted a $10,000 “down payment” from undercover agents through Owens, along with the promise of a job opportunity for a family member.

During the meeting, Owens dismissed Banks, then told the agents:

“We never give them the asking price. I buy (expletives for women), I buy cars, I buy cows, I buy drugs, whatever. My point is (Banks) need 50, you get 30. He gets installments. This is my game,” according to the indictment.

When Banks rejoined the meeting, he told the agents he needed “fifty grand as soon as possible.”

In February, Banks accepted a $10,000 “down payment” from undercover agents through Owens, along with the promise of a job opportunity for a family member. Lee accepted nearly $20,000 in February and March as well in exchange for her vote in favor of the undercover agent company.

On February 12, 2024, Owens arranged a dinner with the agents, Lumumba and Smith. After the introductions, Owens told Lumumba “I checked the background. I’m not the FBI, by the way.” He also told the mayor that agents’ attention had “shifted” to the hotel project across from the convention center.

Lee accepted nearly $20,000 in February and March as well in exchange for her vote in favor of the undercover agent company.

In March and April, Lumumba allegedly accepted $50,000 from developers through Owens, disguised as five $10,000 campaign donations.

“Owens used campaign donation controls to disguise the true source of the funds, the Developers, in an attempt to avoid public and law enforcement scrutiny,” the indictment states.

Owens and Smith went to Nashville from October 9-11, 2023 on a private plane paid for by the FBI to “discuss business opportunities.”

“Owens was ready, willing and able to engage in bribery at least as early as October 16, 2023. On that date, Owens told the developers of his influence in the City of Jackson and his ability to acquire the support of public officials in the City of Jackson.” , according to the indictment.

Specifically, Owens told the agents that he could “give them” the Jackson Redevelopment Authority (JRA), a seven-person commission established by the Jackson City Council with authority over certain real estate in Jackson. Owens also told agents that he and Smith “own enough of the city” and that he had “a bag of (exceptional) information on all the city councilors” that allowed him to “get approval votes.”

During Owens’ victory party after being re-elected on November 7, 2023, Owens told “unprompted” developers that his DA position was “part-time work. The full-time job is growing.”

The next day, on November 8, 2023, the undercover agents met with Owens, Smith and “Witness 1” and negotiated a payment of $250,000 to be paid to Owens, Smith and the witness. In addition, Owens and Smith were to receive $100,000 each, while the witness was to receive $50,000.

In December, Owens, Smith and the witness boarded a private plane with FBI-paid undercover agents to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. That evening, Owens met with the agents in a private room on a yacht and told them that the best way to pay him was in cash and “that he had brought a bag on the trip specifically for that purpose.” One of the agents then gave Owens $125,000 in cash to be divided between Owens, Smith and the witness.

“After receiving the $125,000, Owens explained his worth to the agents: ‘I’m not trying to stress this too much, guys, but my ability to prosecute people … I’m just one. So now, every police agency comes to Everybody Needs Something. Every file comes to us.

On January 10, Owens and Smith met with undercover agents in Owens’ “war room” and told them about the city’s upcoming SOQ, which would be released on January 31. Agents “expressed interest in getting the downtown development project for themselves. and noted their desire to secure the long-term support of the City Council.”

In response, Owens said he should avoid paying too much money upfront to City Council members.

“I don’t know if you’ve been around addicts before, right? You can give them a little hit, a little blunt, a little drink. But if you give them a case of whiskey and give them a kilo of coke. and you give them a pound of weed, they’re going to die,” Owens allegedly said.

This is a developing story.