Jackson, Mississippi — Former Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba pleaded guilty Monday to a federal conspiracy charge tied to bribery, wire fraud, and money laundering.
Lumumba was indicted in 2024 while serving as mayor and initially denied wrongdoing, calling the case politically motivated. Prosecutors said Lumumba and other local officials accepted illegal payments from undercover FBI agents posing as real estate developers seeking approval for a hotel project in Jackson.
Former City Council President Aaron Banks also pleaded guilty Monday. Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens pleaded guilty to a related conspiracy charge a week earlier and resigned from office. Former City Council member Angelique Lee previously pleaded guilty and resigned in 2024.
The Associated Press reported that the 2024 indictment alleged Owens accepted at least $115,000 from undercover agents and directed more than $80,000 in bribes to Lumumba, Banks, and Lee. Sentencing for Lumumba, Banks, and Owens is scheduled for Oct. 15, and each faces up to five years in prison.
Lumumba, a progressive Democrat first elected in 2017, served as mayor during Jackson’s long-running water and infrastructure crisis. His guilty plea avoided a trial that had been scheduled to begin July 13.
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