Three key defendants in Jackson’s sprawling bribery scandal were originally scheduled to be sentenced this week. However, a judge’s order last month pushed their sentencing hearings to November, and a new request from one defendant could delay proceedings further.
Former Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens, former Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, and former Jackson City Councilman Aaron Banks were originally scheduled to be sentenced Thursday, Oct. 15. U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III rescheduled the hearings for Thursday, Nov. 5, according to court records filed Sept. 15.
The current schedule calls for Owens to appear at 9 a.m., Lumumba at 10 a.m., and Banks at 1 p.m.
However, Lumumba’s attorneys filed a motion Oct. 7 seeking to postpone his sentencing again. The motion was filed under seal, and the court had not publicly announced a decision as of Oct. 13. Owens and Banks had not filed similar requests.
All three men face up to five years in prison, fines of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release for their roles in a conspiracy involving a proposed convention center hotel in downtown Jackson.
The scheme involved FBI informants posing as real estate developers who offered bribes to local officials in exchange for favorable treatment of the proposed project.
Rather than resulting in a new downtown hotel, the investigation exposed a broader public corruption scheme involving bribes, private plane trips, nightclub outings, and yacht parties, according to court records.
Owens, Lumumba, and Banks initially pleaded not guilty after being indicted in November 2024. All three later reached plea agreements and pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges earlier this year.
Lumumba admitted to accepting $50,000 disguised as campaign contributions in connection with the scheme. He lost his reelection bid in July 2025 to former state Sen. John Horhn as the federal investigation unfolded.
The former Jackson mayor has since taken steps to surrender his license to practice law in Mississippi. Owens, whom prosecutors accused of facilitating at least $115,000 in bribe payments as part of the scheme, resigned as district attorney effective July 1 after pleading guilty. He was subsequently permanently disbarred by the Mississippi Supreme Court.
Although court records did not specify a reason for the original sentencing delay, several legal experts said it could stem from a variety of factors, including the court’s schedule, defense attorneys arranging character witness testimonies, or ongoing determinations of restitution and other financial penalties.
Former Jackson City Councilwoman Angelique Lee, another defendant in the case, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery in August 2024. Prosecutors said she accepted more than $13,000 in bribes and approximately $6,000 in luxury retail purchases funded through a credit card provided by an FBI informant. Her sentencing is currently scheduled for Nov. 13.
Sherik Marve Smith, a businessman and relative of Owens, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery. He is awaiting a sentencing date.