In a case that has rocked Jackson, Mississippi, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens, and City Council member Aaron B. Banks now face federal conspiracy and bribery charges.

As reported by The Associated Press, the charges, unsealed Thursday, reveal an elaborate FBI sting operation where undercover agents posed as real estate developers looking to build a hotel near Jackson’s convention center. These agents reportedly made payments to local officials, including $50,000 for Mayor Lumumba’s reelection campaign.

This high-stakes legal drama is unfolding as the accused officials prepare for court appearances. Mayor Lumumba, defending himself in a video statement, claimed the charges were a “political prosecution” aimed at derailing his 2025 reelection campaign.

“I have never accepted a bribe of any type. As mayor, I have always acted in the best interests of the city of Jackson,” he stated. Lumumba, a Democrat and attorney, intends to fight the allegations, asserting that he’s been unfairly targeted.

Jackson Mississippi Democrat Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba has been indicted by the Feds and charged with bribery pic.twitter.com/oWu86w3Dx0

— Matt Robinson (@dowop_robinson) November 6, 2024

The investigation traces back to a bribery scheme stretching deep within Jackson’s administration.

FBI agents reportedly raided District Attorney Owens’ office in May, uncovering a lockbox camouflaged as a book labeled “U.S. Constitution” containing around $20,000 in cash—$9,900 of which matched serial numbers from payments by the undercover developers.

Owens is alleged to have boasted about his influence, reportedly coordinating bribes totaling over $80,000 to secure favorable votes for the downtown development project.

Adding to the intrigue, City Council member Angelique Lee, who resigned in August, previously pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges stemming from the same investigation. Her sentencing is scheduled for mid-November, further intensifying the fallout.

The indictment details how Owens reportedly facilitated cash payments and campaign contributions for Jackson officials to ensure approvals for the developers’ multimillion-dollar project.

Court records paint a scene from earlier this year, when Owens, Lumumba, and others allegedly traveled to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on an FBI-funded private jet.

While aboard a yacht, Lumumba reportedly accepted five checks totaling $50,000, directing a city employee to adjust proposal deadlines to benefit the developers posing as real estate investors. This move aimed to sideline competitors, giving an edge to the purported developers involved in the sting.

Another figure implicated in the scheme, Sherik Marve Smith, a relative of Owens and an insurance broker, waived indictment and pleaded guilty to bribery charges last month.

Scheduled for sentencing in February, Smith has agreed to forfeit $20,000 as part of his plea deal. He’s accused of conspiring to pass cash and campaign contributions to Jackson officials, unaware they were working with undercover FBI agents.

As this legal storm gathers momentum, Lumumba has promised a robust defense. “We believe this to be a political prosecution against me, designed to destroy my credibility and reputation within the community,” he said.

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