Former Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba and former City Councilman Aaron Banks pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, court records show. Their pleas came ahead of a trial that was to begin July 13.
The entries follow a change of plea last week by former Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens, who pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and resigned, according to court filings. Prosecutors said Owens faces up to five years in prison, up to $250,000 in fines and three years of supervised release.
Lumumba had faced charges that included wire fraud, money laundering and bribery, and Banks was charged with conspiracy and bribery, the indictment states. The three were indicted in October 2024, according to court records.
Prosecutors said the case centered on two FBI confidential sources posing as real estate developers seeking support for a proposed hotel near the Jackson Convention Complex. The indictment alleges the operatives used private plane travel, cash payments, campaign checks and other benefits, including a trip to a Miami-area strip club, to secure official action from Jackson officials.
The indictment alleges payments to Lumumba included five $10,000 campaign contribution checks delivered during a yacht trip off Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and that the checks were made to appear to come from Mississippi donors. Prosecutors said Lumumba agreed to move up the deadline for a request for qualifications connected to the hotel project and called a city employee from the yacht to direct the change. Court filings also allege Owens received $50,000 in cash during the Florida trip and facilitated payments to Banks and former councilwoman Angelique Lee, who pleaded guilty in August 2024 and resigned the same day. Prosecutors said undercover operatives gave Owens $60,000 in February 2024 and that Owens distributed money to the other officials and discussed storing it at the district attorney’s office.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
