Chokwe Antar Lumumba, the former mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, pleaded guilty Monday to one count of conspiracy for his involvement in a six-figure real estate bribery scheme. Lumumba, who served as mayor from 2017 to 2025, allegedly accepted tens of thousands of dollars intended for him and other city officials from undercover FBI agents posing as real estate developers.
According to a criminal indictment, Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens funneled over $80,000 in payments to Lumumba, former Jackson City Council Vice President Angelique Lee, and Sherik Marve Smith, a relative of Owens. Owens, also a Democrat, had previously pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges.
The indictment states that Owens solicited and accepted at least $115,000 in cash and promises of future financial benefits from the individuals he believed to be developers from Nashville, Tennessee. These payments were allegedly in exchange for his agreement to ensure the approval of a multi-million-dollar downtown Jackson development project.
Lumumba is accused of accepting $50,000 in the form of campaign contributions, with the knowledge that they were provided in exchange for his approval of the real estate developments. The indictment alleges that Lumumba accepted checks understanding they were from the developers and offered in exchange for official action favorable to their project.
Lumumba had initially contested the charges, calling them politically motivated. He lost his re-election bid in 2025 to John Horhn, the current mayor of Jackson.
Lumumba and Owens are scheduled for sentencing on October 15 and could face up to five years in prison. Representatives for Lumumba, Owens, and Lee, as well as the city of Jackson, were contacted for comment.