Former Democratic mayor of state capital city pleads guilty for role in six-figure real estate bribery scheme

Chokwe Antar Lumumba, the former mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, pleaded guilty Monday to one count of conspiracy for his role in a six-figure real estate bribery scheme.

Lumumba, who served as Jackson's mayor from 2017 to 2025, allegedly accepted tens of thousands of dollars that Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens distributed to him and other city officials after accepting it from FBI agents posing as realtors.

Owens, also a Democrat, pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy last week.

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Owens, according to a copy of the criminal indictment obtained by Fox News Digital, funneled over $80,000 in payments to Lumumba, Angelique Lee, the Democratic former vice president of the Jackson City Council, and Sherik Marve Smith, a relative of Owens'.

The former district attorney procured the money from two individuals he believed to be real estate developers from Nashville, Tennessee, "in exchange for their agreement to take official action to ensure the approval of the Developers' proposed multi-million-dollar downtown Jackson development project," per the indictment.

The developers, however, were actually undercover FBI agents.

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Owens "solicited and accepted at least $115,000 in cash and promises of future financial benefits from the Developers," according to the indictment.

Lumumba accepted $50,000 in the form of campaign contributions knowing they were given in exchange for his blessing on the real estate developments, the indictment alleges.

"Lumumba accepted the checks knowing and understanding that the money was from the Developers, and that it was being offered in exchange for official action from Lumumba in favor of the Developers' proposed development project," the indictment read.

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Lumumba had originally called the prosecution's charges a political prosecution, The Associated Press reported.

He lost his re-election bid in 2025, falling in the city's Democratic primary to eventual winner John Horhn, who is now Jackson's mayor.

Lumumba and Owens could face up to five years in prison. Their sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 15.

Fox News Digital contacted legal representatives for Lumumba, Owens and Lee and the city of Jackson for further comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.