Former Mayor of Mississippi's Capital City Pleads Guilty in Bribery Scheme
The plea follows similar guilty pleas from two other Jackson officials, and prosecutors say the case exposed a scheme tied to a proposed hotel project.
- On Monday, July 6, 2026, former Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and former Jackson City Councilman Aaron Banks pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges at the Thad Cochran United States Courthouse, days before trial.
- An FBI undercover operation where agents posed as real estate developers seeking support for a proposed downtown Jackson convention center hotel project triggered the charges. Prosecutors alleged the officials accepted payments in exchange for official actions.
- Court documents detail a yacht meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where agents provided Lumumba five $10,000 checks. Lumumba described his order to a city employee to shorten a project deadline as "ministerial at best."
- Judge Daniel Jordan scheduled sentencing for Lumumba, Banks, and former Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens for October 15, with each facing up to five years in prison and $250,000 in fines.
- The investigation previously secured guilty pleas from former Jackson City Council Vice President Angelique Lee and associate Sherik Marve Smith, with the scandal reshaping local politics as all involved left office in 2025.
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Jackson residents react to guilty pleas from former mayor, district attorney and city councilman
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Jackson residents say they are not surprised by the guilty pleas of three of the city’s top elected officials, but they are hurt and calling for accountability. Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, District Attorney Jody Owens and City Councilman Aaron Banks have pleaded guilty to a federal bribery scheme. Camy Hill, a Jackson resident, said she trusted her city leaders and now has a message for them. “They need to set an example.…
Former Democratic mayor of state capital city pleads guilty for role in six-figure real estate bribery scheme
Former Jackson, Mississippi mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba pleaded guilty to conspiracy in an FBI sting involving real estate development bribery and campaign contributions.
Former mayor of Mississippi's capital city pleads guilty in bribe
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The former mayor of Mississippi’s capital city and the former City Council president have pleaded guilty in a bribery scheme one week before they were set to face trial. Former Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and former Jackson City Council President Aaron Banks pleaded guilty Monday to one count of conspiracy. Their pleas came after Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens pleaded guilty last week and resigned. All thr…
Former mayor of Mississippi's capital city pleads guilty in bribery scheme
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The former mayor of Mississippi's capital city and the former City Council president have pleaded guilty in a bribery scheme one week before they were set to face trial.
Ex-Jackson Mayor Pleads Guilty in Public Corruption Case
“Former Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and former City Council member Aaron Banks on Monday pleaded guilty to conspiracy in a federal corruption case that rocked Mississippi’s capital city,” Mississippi Today reports. “Lumumba pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, wire fraud and money laundering, with Banks pleading guilty to one count […]
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