Hinds County DA Jody Owens Resigns After Guilty Plea in $115,000 Bribery Case

Q: Now a convicted felon, will the former DA testify against the mayor in his upcoming bribery trial?

It is not publicly known whether Jody Owens will testify against former Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba at the upcoming bribery trial. What is clear is that Owens has now pleaded guilty to conspiracy and resigned as Hinds County district attorney, effective July 1. In his plea, he admitted helping facilitate bribe payments tied to the undercover convention center hotel scheme, including payments and campaign contributions involving Jackson officials. Lumumba and former Councilman Aaron Banks have pleaded not guilty and are still scheduled for trial in mid-July. The key uncertainty is Owens’ cooperation status. Public reporting says the available plea agreement does not say whether he must testify. A sealed supplement to the agreement was filed under seal, and that is the document most likely to contain any cooperation terms with federal prosecutors. So, Owens could become a government witness, but there is no public confirmation yet that he will. His guilty plea may make him more useful to prosecutors as an insider witness, especially because he admitted facts connected to the alleged bribery scheme. At the same time, any testimony from him would likely face credibility attacks from the defense because he is now a convicted participant seeking sentencing consideration. His sentencing is set for October 15, after the July trial date, which can be consistent with ongoing cooperation, but that alone does not prove he will testify.

Q: As this bribery case unfolds, who is the next Mississippi politician the FBI might be targeting?

There is no verified public evidence identifying a new Mississippi politician as the FBI’s next target in this case. What is clear from the court record is that the Jackson bribery investigation already ensnared several officials. Jody Owens has now pleaded guilty and admitted helping facilitate payments tied to former Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, former City Councilman Aaron Banks, and former City Councilwoman Angelique Lee. Lee and Sherik Marve Smith have already pleaded guilty. Lumumba and Banks were indicted in October 2024, have pleaded not guilty, and are scheduled for trial in mid-July. That means the most immediate focus is not an unknown “next” politician, but the pending prosecutions of Lumumba and Banks. Owens’ plea could increase pressure on those cases because he has now acknowledged the bribery conspiracy in federal court, and prosecutors may use his admissions as part of the broader case. Beyond that, any claim about another target would be speculation. The available reporting does not name additional politicians under investigation, and responsible reporting should stop short of predicting who the FBI may pursue next without charging documents, court filings, or official statements.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 30

Jody Owens resigned as Hinds County district attorney on Monday, with the resignation taking effect July 1, hours after pleading guilty in federal court to a conspiracy charge.
Federal prosecutors said Owens took at least $115,000 in cash and promises of future benefits to use his influence to advance a downtown Jackson convention center hotel project.
The case grew out of a 2022 FBI undercover operation in which agents posed as developers; an October 2024 indictment had also accused Owens of bribery, wire fraud, money laundering and false statements.
Owens said on Facebook that leaving office was one of his hardest decisions and asked for prayers for his family as the case moves toward sentencing.
A conspiracy conviction carries up to 5 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 3 years of supervised release; Owens is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 15.