Jackson Mayor And Top Officials Indicted In Bribery Scheme

Source: Jackson State University / Getty

On Nov. 7, a federal indictment was unsealed in the Southern District of Mississippi, charging three prominent Jackson, Mississippi, officials with multiple bribery charges.

According to the DOJ, Hinds County District Attorney Jody E. Owens II, 43; Mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, Chokwe Antar Lumumba, 41; and former president and current member of the Jackson City Council, Aaron Banks, 47, were charged with participating in a bribery scheme to enrich themselves.

The indictment alleges the men conspired to accept bribes from two individuals posing as real estate developers in exchange for their official support and actions related to development projects in downtown Jackson.

“The indictment alleges that Jackson’s mayor, the district attorney in Jackson, and members of Jackson’s city council conspired to accept bribes in exchange for official acts benefiting purported real estate developers,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Officials who abuse their positions of authority to enrich themselves undermine public confidence in government. The Justice Department is committed to restoring that confidence by working with its law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute public corruption.”

As alleged in the indictment, between approximately October 2023 and May 2024, Owens facilitated bribe payments to public officials in Jackson on behalf of two FBI undercover employees posing as real estate developers (the “Developers”) in exchange for at least $115,000 and the promise of future financial benefit.

Owens also instructed the Developers that, for their project to succeed, they needed to secure the support of certain public officials in Jackson through bribery. Those public officials included Mayor Lumumba, Councilman Banks, and former Jackson City Councilwoman Angelique Lee. According to the DOJ, Owens instructed the Developers on how, when, and where to bribe those officials.

Mayor Lumumba is accused of accepting a $50,000 bribe from the Developers in exchange for exerting his influence and taking official action regarding the Developers’ proposed project in downtown Jackson.

The indictment also alleges that Councilman Banks solicited a $50,000 bribe in exchange for his votes in support of the Developers’ proposed project in downtown Jackson. Banks accepted an initial payment of $10,000 in cash, along with a promise to provide funding for the employment of a family member and a protective detail service.

Jody E. Owens, Chokwe Antar Lumumba and Aaron Banks face multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, and could face penalties ranging from five to 20 years in prison.

“Leaders who are awarded the public’s trust should be focusing on the needs of the Jackson community, not looking to line their own pockets and benefit themselves,” said U.S. Attorney Todd Gee for the Southern District of Mississippi. “As alleged in the indictment, from campaign donations generated through laundered money to stacks of cash bribes, the members of this conspiracy allegedly offered and accepted bribes in exchange for official acts. The Justice Department is committed to investigating and prosecuting bribery and other forms of public corruption.”

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