Jackson mayor, Hinds County DA, city councilman plead not guilty to bribery charges

JACKSON, Miss. — Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens and City Councilman Aaron Banks all pleaded not guilty on Thursday to federal bribery charges.

The hearing came the day after the city of Jackson’s mayor, Lumumba, announced his indictment. The newly unsealed documents list the felony charges the three elected officials face.

• Owens is charged with conspiracy, federal program bribery, use of an interstate facility in aid of racketeering, wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements.
• Lumumba is charged with conspiracy, federal program bribery, use of an interstate facility in aid of racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering.
• Banks is charged with conspiracy and federal program bribery.

Their trial has been set for Jan. 6, 2025. Read the indictments here.

Federal program bribery charges include accepting bribes in connection with a project funded used by federal funding.

The project in question would have included the construction of a convention center hotel on property the city purchased years ago using Housing and Urban Development dollars. As a condition of the loan the city used for the property, Jackson would re-lend the money to potential developers to purchase and develop the site.

The three were indicted on October 23. Orders for warrants for their arrests were issued the same day.