Overview
- On Monday, June 29, Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge and submitted a resignation that took effect July 1.
- Federal prosecutors say Owens solicited and accepted at least $115,000 in cash and routed more than $80,000 in payments to others, including an alleged $50,000 campaign payment tied to a Fort Lauderdale yacht meeting.
- The case began as a 2022 FBI undercover sting in which agents posed as real-estate developers and recorded conversations and transactions that form the core evidence.
- Former Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and ex–City Council President Aaron Banks remain charged and are scheduled to go to trial on July 13, with prosecutors likely to reassess witness strategy after Owens’s plea.
- Judge Winston Kidd named Brad McCullouch attorney pro tempore to keep the DA’s office running and Owens is free on bond with a federal sentencing set for Oct. 15.