A Mississippi district attorney has stepped down from his position after changing his plea to guilty in a federal bribery conspiracy case — a scandal that has swept up several officials in the state’s capital city, including Jackson’s former mayor.
Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens was indicted back in November 2024 after two undercover FBI agents, pretending to be real estate developers, offered bribes to him and other city officials in exchange for approving a development project.
According to the indictment, Owens solicited and accepted no less than $115,000 in cash and helped funnel more than $80,000 in payments to others allegedly involved in the scheme. That included $50,000 directed toward the reelection campaign of Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba. Lumumba, who characterized the charges against him as a politically motivated prosecution, went on to lose his reelection bid last year.
Owens now faces a potential prison sentence of up to five years.
In a social media post announcing his departure, Owens reflected on the weight of his decision. “This was one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made,” he wrote. “While it hurts beyond measure to step away from a position I love, I believe this decision is what is best for me, my family, and the District Attorney’s Office.”
Meanwhile, Lumumba and former Jackson City Council member Aaron B. Banks have each pleaded not guilty and are set to face trial beginning in mid-July.
Two others connected to the case — Jackson City Council member Angelique Lee and Sherik Marve Smith, a relative of Owens — both entered guilty pleas to federal bribery charges in 2024.
