Former Jackson mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba pleaded guilty on Monday to conspiracy to commit bribery, wire fraud, and money laundering, ending a case he had previously called a "political prosecution." The 43-year-old Democrat admitted in federal court to accepting $50,000 in bribes disguised as campaign contributions, according to prosecutors.
Lumumba was indicted in November 2024 following an FBI sting operation that also snared two other elected Democrats. At the time, he denied wrongdoing and claimed the charges were politically motivated to derail his 2025 re-election campaign. "To be clear, I have never accepted a bribe of any type," he said then, adding that he always acted in the best interests of Jackson.
Guilty Plea and Co-Conspirators
Alongside Lumumba, former city council member Aaron Banks pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. Both were released until a sentencing hearing in October, facing up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. However, defendants who plead guilty before trial typically receive lighter sentences.
Jody Owens, the district attorney for Hinds County, entered a similar plea a week earlier to a single federal conspiracy charge and resigned from his post on Wednesday. Another Jackson city council member, Angelique Lee, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery in August 2024 and resigned her seat.
Details of the Bribery Scheme
The pleas averted a trial set for July 13, meaning full details of the FBI operation may never be revealed. Had the trial proceeded, prosecutors would have shown that Lumumba took $50,000 in bribes in five checks disguised as campaign contributions. Owens received similar payments and cashed them through his bank account.
According to WDAM7, Lumumba, Banks, and another co-conspirator were flown to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, by private jet in April 2024 for a purported campaign event. There, federal agents posing as representatives of a development company seeking to build a hotel in Jackson handed them the money. Shortly after, Lumumba allegedly called the city’s director of development and planning to reschedule a meeting to discuss the hotel project.
Legal and Political Fallout
Lumumba, an attorney whose law license could be revoked as a convicted felon, left the Jackson courthouse with his wife, Eboni, without speaking to reporters. Attorneys for the National Conference of Black Lawyers (NCBL) remained defiant, suggesting Black elected officials face "double standards" and disproportionate scrutiny.
NCBL co-chair Mawuli Davis told reporters that Lumumba chose to close the case in his own way, but his guilty plea should not affect the "larger national discussion about equal administration of justice." Attorney Jaribu Hill, referencing supporters in court, said: "As you can see, the legacy has not been tarnished. What’s been tarnished, if anything, is the ongoing facade of justice."
Lumumba's Tenure and Jackson's Challenges
Lumumba was first elected in 2017 as Jackson's youngest ever mayor, winning 93% of the vote. A progressive, he pledged to make Jackson "the most radical city on the planet." His tenure was marked by tensions over race, crime, and infrastructure, including a 2022 water crisis that left more than 150,000 residents—largely Black and lower-income—without reliable water for months. The crisis, exacerbated by political divisions, systemic neglect, and aging pipes, led to school closures and facility shutdowns. Lumumba clashed with state and federal officials over solutions but also faced criticism for his handling of the crisis.
