Hustle and flow in the ‘City with Soul’

• Private planes, yacht parties, strip clubs, and boatloads of cash; the full Jackson bribery scandal has been exposed with the indictment of Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba, and Jackson City Councilman Aaron Banks.

Federal prosecutors say Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens facilitated over $80,000 in bribe payments to Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba and Jackson City Council Members Aaron Banks and Angelique Lee. For his role, Owens was paid at least $115,000 in cash.

The bribes were intended to grease the skids for a fictitious hotel development proposed by two real estate developers working as undercover FBI operatives.

In a 32-page indictment released on Thursday, the public gained the clearest picture yet of the full bribery scandal (a copy of the indictment is embedded below).

Payments to Lumumba came in the form of five $10,000 “campaign contribution” checks delivered to the Jackson Mayor on a yacht off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, Florida on April 2nd of this year. When one of the FBI operatives handed Lumumba the envelope containing the checks, he explained that they were made to look like they had come from Mississippi donors.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Lumumba accepted the checks in exchange for agreeing to move up the date of an RFQ to build the hotel — thereby excluding potential competitors’ proposals.

The indictment indicates that while on the yacht, Lumumba called and ordered a Jackson City employee to change the date of the RFQ. He confirmed to the FBI operatives that the date had been moved up and was promised an additional $50,000 in payments.

That evening, Lumumba and Owens were entertained by the FBI operatives at a local strip club, Tootsie’s in Miami, with $5,000 in cash being made available for Lumumba to use. He returned to Jackson after the trip and deposited each of the $10,000 checks in his campaign account.

Subsequently, Lumumba began drawing checks out of the campaign account made payable to him personally. On April 5th, a check in the amount of $9,500 was made payable to Lumumba from his campaign account. On April 8th, a check in the amount of $5,000 was made payable to him from the account. Both checks were cashed, according to the indictment.

A defiant Lumumba released a statement on Thursday after pleading not guilty. “I am not guilty, and so I will not proceed as a guilty man,” Lumumba said. “I will continue to handle the business of the city of Jackson while my attorneys continue to handle the business of these court proceedings.”

A day before his arraignment, Mayor Lumumba released a video statement alleging that his indictment was a “political prosecution.” On Facebook, Lumumba’s sister Rukia Lumumba echoed the sentiment, implying the prosecution was a byproduct of former President Trump’s November 5th victory in the presidential race:

“First Trump wins, now they are trying to indict my brother. As Spike Lee says, WAKE UP! They come for the best of us because we are threatening their power.”

The indictment against Lumumba occurred on October 23, 2024, approximately two week prior to the election. Former President Trump will not gain any political power until his inauguration at the end of January. The Biden administration’s Department of Justice was responsible for the investigation that led to the indictment, which began in the fall of 2023. U.S. Attorney Todd Gee, the lead prosecutor in the case, was appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden. Gee got his start with Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson (D).

Owens Says Being D.A. is Part-Time Job, Refers to Co-Mingling Bribe Money with “Dope Money”

On August 14, 2023, Owens was introduced to one of the FBI operatives, who told Owens he was interested in real estate development in Jackson. On October 9, 2023, Owens was flown on a private jet paid for by the FBI to Nashville to discuss opportunities.

The indictment indicates Owens was “ready, willing, and predisposed to engage in bribery at least as early as October 16, 2023.” Owens reportedly told the FBI operatives he had “influence in the City of Jackson” and “the ability to purchase the support of public officials.”

At his re-election victory party on November 7, 2023, Owens described his office as District Attorney as a “part-time job.” “The full job is developing…This is the part time job, to get leverage for the full-time job. This is the part time job to get the conversations and the access. Access equals the other sh-t we’re trying to do.”

The next day, the FBI operatives met with Owens and his cousin and business associate, Sherik Marve’ Smith. The pair negotiated $250,000 in payments for their role in assisting the operatives — $100,000 for both Owens and Smith and $50,000 for someone identified only as “Witness 1” in the indictment.

On December 13, 2023, Owens, Smith and Witness 1 traveled via private jet for a meeting with the FBI operatives in Fort Lauderdale. That evening, on the private FBI yacht, Owens asked to receive his payment in cash and presented a bag he had brought on the trip specifically for that purpose. Owens was given $125,000 in marked bills to be split between him, Smith and Witness 1.

After receiving the money, he bragged about his influence. “I’m not trying to overemphasize this, you guys, but my ability to prosecute people…there’s only one me. So right now, every police agency comes to us. Everybody needs something. Every file comes to us. Everybody needs something fixed.”

On January 10, 2024, Owens informed the FBI operatives of the Downtown Development RFQ. The FBI operatives said they would like to submit a proposal and Owens offered to help them win the RFQ by purchasing the support of City Council members.

Owens cautioned the FBI agents against giving City Council members too much money too fast, saying “I don’t know if you have been around addicts before, right? You can give them a little blow, a little blunt, a little drink. But if you give them a case of whiskey, and you give them a kilo of coke, and you give them a motherf–king pound of weed. They will die.”

At a dinner with Banks and the FBI operatives the following day, Owens and Banks schemed to get him $50,000 in payment, “25 now and 25 later.” Owens then asked Banks to leave and in his absence told the operatives:

“We never give them the asking price. I buy p–sy, I buy cars, I buy cows, I buy drugs, whatever. My point is, like [Banks] need 50, you get 30. He gets installments.”

On February 12, 2024, Owens arranged a dinner with Lumumba and the FBI. Owens told Lumumba, “I’ve done background checks. They’re not FBI by the way.”

After dinner, the FBI operatives told Owens they were worried they did not have enough votes to win the RFQ. Owens told them he could deliver three more votes and promised with Lumumba and Banks it would be easy to get “the pawns.”

Owens told the operatives to “clean” the bribery payments he would make, he would deposit all the money into the bank account of a Mississippi company and then make payments in the form of campaign contributions. Owens explained he did not care where the money came from:

“I don’t give a sh-t where the money comes from. It can come from blood diamonds in Africa, I don’t give a f–king sh-t. I’m a whole DA. F–k that shit. My job, as I understand it, with a little paperwork, is to get this deal done, and get it done most effectively…We can take dope boy money, I don’t give a sh-t. But I need to clean it and spread it. I can do it in here. That’s why we have businesses. To clean the money. Right? I don’t give a sh-t. You give us cash, we deposit it and give it back that way. That’s easy.”

In the weeks that followed, Owens facilitated payments to Banks and Lee. He also made a request for between $50,000 and $100,000 to pay Lumumba. Owens cautioned the operatives that if they gave Lumumba $100,000 directly “then everybody goes to jail.” Instead, he asked that the money be given to him to be put in a safe inside the District Attorney’s Office mixed in with “dope money and drug money and more than a million dollars.”

Owens told the FBI operatives that co-mingling the bribe payments with other funds in the District Attorney’s safe could not be as easily linked to him:

“Because if someone comes in my motherf–king safe it’s a million dollars in cash, it’s a million dollars. You know what, if they come to my house, it reads like ‘DA Owens had twenty grand in cash.’ Regularly people who vote for me, who give me $10 or a $100 they can’t count that much money. But guess what, in my safe at my DA office I got a million dollars in cash, guess what, your f–king ten grand don’t matter, your fifteen grand it don’t matter, I got a million dollars there.”

Following his ‘not guilty’ plea on Thursday, Owens told reporters his indictment was “a horrible example of a flawed FBI investigation,” and described it as “an assassination attempt on my character.” Owens downplayed his recorded statements to the undercover FBI operatives as “drunken, locker-room banter,” and said, “right now, I’m going to get back to protecting Hinds County and being the district attorney that you’ve elected us to be.”

Timeline of Events

The case against Jackson and Hinds County officials stem from an FBI operation that started when two Nashville-based real estate developers came to Mississippi. The pair were introduced to D.A. Owens, who offered to help them do business in the Capital City. Unbeknownst to Owens, the developers were confidential human sources (CHS) employed by the FBI.

The following information comes from Bills of Information filed against defendants who have pled guilty, the released indictment against Owens, Lumumba and Banks, and independent research. The timeline contains allegations made by the government. Owens, Lumumba and Banks have all pled not guilty.

• August 14, 2023: CHS Developer 1 introduced to Owens by individual identified in indictment as “Witness 1.”
• October 9-11, 2023: Owens, along with relative and business associate Sherik Marve’ Smith, flies to Nashville on private jet financed by FBI to meet with CHS Developer 1 and Developer 2 to discuss business opportunities in Jackson.
• October 16, 2023: Prosecutors say Owens demonstrated he was “ready, willing and predisposed to engage in bribery” and told CHS Developers about his influence in Jackson and ability to purchase the support of public officials. He purportedly bragged that he and Smith “own enough of the city” and that he had “a bag of f–king information on all the city councilmen” that allowed him to “get votes approved.”
• November 7, 2023: At his re-election victory party, Owens told CHS Developers that being District Attorney was a “part-time job” to “get leverage for the full-time job,” referring to the real estate development he planned with the CHS Developers. He said being D.A. got the “conversations and the access. Access equals the other shit we’re trying to do.”
• November 8, 2023: The CHS Developers meet with Owens, Smith, and Witness 1, at which time they negotiate a payment of $100,000 to Owens, $100,000 to Smith, and $50,000 to Witness 1 for their help in securing development deals.
• December 13, 2023: Owens, Smith and Witness 1 travel on a private jet financed by the FBI to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for a meeting with CHS Developers. Owens asked to receive his payment in cash and presented a bag he had brought for the purpose of carrying it home. CHS Developer 2 gave Owens $125,000 in marked bills to be split between him, Smith and Witness 1. After receiving the money, Owens bragged to the CHS Developers that his ability to “prosecute people” opened doors. He reportedly said, “There’s only one me. So right now, every police agency comes to us. Everybody needs something Every file comes to us. Everybody needs something fixed.”
• January 10, 2024: CHS Developers come to Jackson and meet with Owens and Smith in Owens’ private office. Owens tells the developers about an outstanding RFQ to build a hotel complex near the Jackson Convention Center. The CHS Developers expressed interest in winning the project and desire to secure the support of the City Council. In addressing potential payments to City Council members, Owens advised to avoid paying too much up front. He allegedly told the CHS Developers, “I don’t know if you have been around addicts before, right? You can give them a little blow, a little blunt, a little drink. But if you give them a case of whiskey, and you give them a kilo of coke, and you give them a motherf–king pound of weed. They will die.”
• January 11, 2024: Owens facilitates a dinner with CHS Developers, Smith, and then-Jackson City Council President Aaron Banks. At Owens’ urging Banks asks for $50,000 in exchange for his support, “25 now and 25 later.” Owens dismisses Banks from the table before explaining to the FBI operatives, “We never give them the asking price. I buy p–sy, I buy cars, I buy cows, I buy drugs, whatever. My point is, like [Banks] need 50, you get 30. He gets installments.” Banks returned to the table and was questioned by CHS Developer 2 what he would need to support the CHS Developers’ plans for the hotel. Banks responded “fifty grand as soon as possible would help.”
• February 12, 2024: Owens arranged for a dinner with Lumumba, Smith, and the CHS Developers. At the outset, Owens tells Lumumba, “I’ve done background checks. They’re not the FBI by the way.” Owens identified for Lumumba the CHS Developers interest in the “RFP/RFQ related to the convention area hotels.” At a meeting between Owens, Smith and the CHS Developers following dinner, the FBI operatives expressed concern that they needed more support from the City Council. Owens told them they already had “the leadership” and that he would secure “the pawns.” Owens also explained how he would facilitate the bribes by depositing the CHS Developers money into a business bank account in Mississippi and then distributing payments as campaign contributions. He told the CHS Developers that public officials in Jackson finance their personal lives through their campaign accounts.
• February 13, 2024: The CHS Developers gave Owens $60,000 in cash, including $25,000 for Owens, $25,000 for Banks, and $10,000 for Angelique Lee. Owens told the CHS Developers he would store Banks’ and Lee’s money in a safe at the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office. That same day, Owens gave Banks an envelope with $10,000 in cash. At the time, Banks also accepted employment for a family member and a protective detail service from the CHS Developers. Both were paid for by the FBI operatives through a Mississippi bank account controlled by Owens. The CHS developers spent $4,800 employing Banks’ family member and another $1,500 on the detail.
• February 15, 2024: Owens paid off $10,000 of Lee’s campaign debt via wire transfer from his campaign account. He documented the payment in a text to the CHS developers.
• February 28, 2024: Owens, Smith and the CHS Developers meet in Jackson. Owens proposes paying Lee an additional $5,000 a month from his campaign account. The group discusses the need for Lumumba to be involved. Owens said that without him, “could make things harder,” and explained that Lumumba had already agreed to take a trip to Fort Lauderdale with the CHS Developers. Owens warned the CHS Developers of the risk of attracting too much attention, referring to a previous federal corruption case against Louis Armstrong in Jackson. In explaining his decisions to only pay Banks $10,000 of the agreed amount, and how and why he paid Lee the way he did, Owens allegedly said, “Here’s the thing, at the end of the f–king day, my most important job is to keep everybody out of jail or prison, because I’m not f–king going.” Owens was then paid an additional $10,000 in cash. That evening, Owens proposed the CHS Developers would need to give Lumumba between $50,000-$100,000 and explained he would keep the money in the safe at the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office. Owens said there it would mix with “dope money and drug money and more than a million dollars.”
• March 5, 2024: Owens meets with CHS Developer 1 to discuss fact that submission deadline for RFQ had been extended from March 12th to April 30th. Owens called a city employee, and on speaker phone in front of the FBI operative, expressed concern that extending the deadline would invite other submissions for the project. Owens and CHS Developer 1 discuss the upcoming trip to Florida with Lumumba. Owens text Lumumba about the RFQ deadline and said, “Need to understand how to donate to your reelection campaign in a size able way that is most appropriate.” Later that day, Owens and CHS Developer 1 meet again. Owens proposed a “fundraiser” in Florida for Lumumba. Owens told the FBI operative that they could either have “ten guys with ten checks” there or Owens could give Lumumba ten checks in one envelope. He allegedly said, “what we used to do, if people wanted to say under the radar, you just give a bunch of different checks from a bunch of different companies.”
• March 10, 2024: The CHS Developers, Owens and Smith submit their RFQ proposal to the City of Jackson to build the hotel development near the Jackson Convention Center. The proposal shows a joint submission by Contour Companies and Facilities Solution Team. Owens and Smith are included in the proposal as “associated local businessmen.” Owens calls CHS Developer 1 to tell him he had met with Lumumba the previous evening and everyone was “on one accord,” and that they would give Lumumba a $50,000 “fundraiser” in Florida. Owens said he had assured Lumumba $50,000 was just the beginning and the “final number” was $100,000.
• March 19, 2024: Owens forms Facility Solutions Team, LLC. The filing list Owens as both the registered agent and the only officer of the business. Owens opens a Mississippi bank account for the business.
• March 27, 2024: Owens plans a dinner with Lee and the CHS Developers. Lee accepts an additional $3,000 in cash from CHS Developer 2 and provides her with his credit card. The FBI operative told Lee “don’t go too crazy, but have a f–ing great time.” The following day Lee purchases more than $6,000 in luxury goods at Mason Weiss using the credit card.
• March 28, 2024: Owens, Smith and the CHS Developers meet with Banks to discuss the RFQ deadline. Banks assures them he’s working to move the deadline back up and threatens to hold up the salary raises of city employees if necessary to get them to comply. Over the course of March 27-28th, the CHS Developers deliver $50,000 in cash to Owens at the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office. Owens converts that cash to five $10,000 “campaign contribution” checks for Lumumba.
• April 2, 2024: Owens, Lumumba, Smith and the CHS Developers travel to Fort Lauderdale, Florida together on a private jet paid for by the FBI. That same day Owens and Lumumba meet with the CHS Developers on the FBI yacht. CHS Developer 1 asked Lumumba to have the RFQ deadline moved up from April 30, 2024 to April 10 or 15th to prevent other submissions. Lumumba then places a phone call to a city employee and directed them to move the RFQ submission deadline to April 15th. Still images contained in the indictment show Lumumba making the phone call sitting next to Owens on the yacht. Lumumba is presented with an envelope containing the five checks cut by Owens. Lumumba accepts the checks. He is told “these checks are Mississippi checks but they’re from this group.” CHS Developer 2 asked Lumumba to confirm the RFQ submission deadline would be moved and he confirms. Lumumba is promised an additional $50,000 in payment. That same day, Owens accepts an additional $50,000 in cash contained in a bag for his services. Photos contained in the indictment show him removing the cash from the bag and putting it into his pockets. That evening, the men went to Tootsie’s strip club in Miami. Lumumba was given $5,000 in cash for his use.

• April 4, 2024: Lumumba deposits checks provided to him onboard the yacht in Fort Lauderdale into his campaign account. The account previously had a balance of $465.30.
• April 5, 2024: Lumumba writes himself a personal check in the amount of $9,500 out of campaign bank account.
• April 8, 2024: Lumumba writes himself a personal check in the amount of $5,000 from his campaign account. Both of the checks are cashed.
• May 22, 2024: The FBI conducts a search of Owen’s Hinds County District Attorney Office and one of his businesses. At his office, the FBI discovers a book purporting to be the Constitution of the United States. The inside of the book is cut out and contains $20,000 in cash, $9,900 of which is confirmed to be money matching serial numbers of the cash paid to Owens by the CHS Developers in December of 2023.

Editor’s Note: This piece originally ran Thursday morning, prior to the arraignment of Owens, Lumumba and Banks. It has been updated to include statements made by Lumumba and Owens in their defense, as well as the more detailed timeline included above.