Owens and Banks Receive Prison Terms in Jackson Bribery Case

Former Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison and fined $100,000 for his role in a bribery conspiracy involving a proposed downtown Jackson convention-center hotel. A judge described Owens as the scheme’s ringleader, in which undercover FBI agents posing as developers sought to secure officials’ support through cash and other benefits. Former Jackson City Councilman Aaron Banks received 45 months in prison, a $15,000 fine and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty; he admitted accepting $10,000, an employment contract for his daughter and a driver after being promised $50,000 for supporting the project. Former Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba also pleaded guilty, and his sentencing was postponed until Nov. 20.