Former Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba Pleads Guilty in Federal Bribery Scheme
Former Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, who once called the federal case against him a form of “political prosecution,” now faces up to five years in prison after pleading guilty in a sweeping bribery scheme that ensnared several prominent Mississippi officials.
Lumumba and former Jackson City Council President Aaron Banks pleaded guilty Monday to one count of conspiracy tied to a real estate development scheme, just one week before they were scheduled to stand trial on federal charges.
The pleas mark a dramatic turn for Lumumba, who had maintained his innocence after his 2024 indictment and later lost his bid for another term as mayor.
Lumumba Pleads Guilty in Jackson Bribery Case
According to federal prosecutors and court records, the case grew out of an FBI sting involving undercover agents posing as real estate developers seeking support for a proposed downtown Jackson development.
Prosecutors alleged that then-Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens accepted at least $115,000 from the undercover agents and helped facilitate more than $80,000 in payments to Lumumba, Banks and former City Council Vice President Angelique Lee in exchange for official help advancing the project.
Owens pleaded guilty last week and resigned from office. Lee and Sherik Marve Smith, a businessman and relative of Owens, had already entered guilty pleas in connection with the broader case.
Federal prosecutors alleged that Lumumba agreed to accept $50,000 disguised as five separate $10,000 campaign contribution checks. In exchange, prosecutors said, he used his position to help move the proposed development forward before a city deadline, potentially giving the undercover developers an advantage over competitors.
Banks was accused of soliciting $50,000 and accepting a $10,000 payment in exchange for his City Council vote.
Former Mayor Faces Up to Five Years in Prison
Lumumba, Banks and Owens each face up to five years in prison following their guilty pleas. Sentencing hearings are scheduled for Oct. 15.
The guilty plea represents a sharp reversal for Lumumba, who previously characterized the charges as politically motivated.
The National Conference of Black Lawyers has also raised questions about whether Black elected officials were unfairly targeted during the federal investigation. Attorney Mawuli Davis told The Associated Press that the country’s history requires “a very healthy skepticism” about which people and communities become the focus of law enforcement scrutiny.
“We’ve never not been targeted,” Davis said.
The organization has said it plans to attend Lumumba’s sentencing hearing and urge the judge to consider his contributions to the Jackson community.
Political Career Ends Under Federal Cloud
Lumumba, the son of the late Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba, was first elected mayor in 2017 and later won reelection. His rise made him one of the most recognizable progressive Black mayors in the South.
His time in office, however, was marked by major challenges.
Jackson’s long-running water crisis reached a breaking point in 2022, leaving roughly 150,000 residents without reliable running water and drawing national attention to years of infrastructure failures in the predominantly Black city. Lumumba also clashed with members of the Jackson City Council during a prolonged garbage collection dispute.
The federal bribery case later cast another shadow over his administration.
Lumumba sought another term in 2025 but lost the Democratic primary runoff to John Horhn, who went on to become Jackson’s mayor. The loss came after Lumumba had continued to argue that the federal case against him was politically driven.
Now, with his guilty plea entered and sentencing ahead, the former mayor who once vowed to fight the charges faces the possibility of years in federal prison.
