The Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted a number of Jackson, Mississippi officials on October 7 for their alleged involvement in a high-profile corruption scandal.
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District Attorney Jody Owens, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, and City Council member Aaron Banks are accused of participating in a bribery scheme in which they allegedly offered preferential treatment to real estate developers in exchange for cash payments, trips on private jets, and fancy dinners, according to a press release from the DOJ.
“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.”
Argentieri further stated that “Officials who abuse their positions of authority to enrich themselves undermine public confidence in government.”
The alleged bribes came in various forms, from campaign donations laundered through third-party entities to outright cash payments, the DOJ explained.
The indictments follow a months-long FBI investigation in which agents posed as real estate developers from Tennessee, NBC News reported. They introduced themselves to members of the city council starting in early 2023, seeking support for a fictitious downtown hotel project. Council member Virgi Lindsay, who is not among the accused, recalled her skepticism when meeting with the “developers” at an upscale steakhouse, noting their lack of preparation for the meeting.
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“I just thought I would never see them again because I just felt like they were so poorly prepared,” Lindsay told NBC News.
Owens allegedly instructed the undercover agents on how to structure bribes through campaign donations to conceal their origin. He reportedly told the agents, “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—— sh-t,” according to the report.
The DOJ claims Owens went as far as to assure the undercover agents that he had power over the rest of the city council, saying he had “a bag of f—— information on all the city councilmen” that would assure that he could secure the necessary votes for the fictitious hotel project.
The sting operation involved a series of orchestrated meetings where the men plotted the scheme while issuing payments to the city officials. The agents flew the officials to Nashville and later to Florida. During one trip, Owens allegedly accepted $125,000 in cash on a yacht.
Mayor Lumumba played a critical role in the scheme. He directed a city employee to move back a proposal deadline for the hotel project at the agents’ request. The other officials allegedly facilitated additional payments to the mayor, channeling the bribes through his campaign funds, which he laundered before taking a portion for himself.
When investigators searched Owens’ office, they found the evidence.
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In late May, the FBI searched Owens’ office at the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office under a warrant. During the raid, they found that a book titled “The Constitution of The United States” was actually a lockbox, according to the indictment. Inside, officials said, there was $20,000 in cash. Almost half of it was traced via serial numbers to funds the developers had given Owens, according to the indictment.
The indictment alleges that Owens had told developers earlier that he kept “dope money and drug money and more than a million dollars” in the office safe to avoid the risk of keeping it in his home.
The scandal has rocked a community that has about a quarter of its population living in poverty. “People are tired; they just want some good stuff done,” said Council member Vernon Hartley. “Now, with multiple officials indicted, the city faces not only a legal battle but also a struggle to restore public trust and move forward with critical projects.”
If convicted, the officials could face maximum sentences of up to 20 years.
