JACKSON — Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens pleaded guilty Monday to a federal conspiracy charge in the public corruption case tied to a proposed downtown Jackson convention center hotel project and resigned from office.
Owens entered his guilty plea Monday afternoon before U.S. District Judge Daniel Jordan. He pleaded guilty to Count 1, conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release.
Owens had been charged with eight counts in the case. He, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and former Ward 6 Councilman Aaron Banks had been scheduled to stand trial July 13. Court records previously indicated Owens intended to argue entrapment.
Following the hearing, Owens declined to answer questions from reporters.
“I’m not going to be able to answer any questions about the case or the ongoing process,” Owens said. “But I do want to take this moment to thank the citizens of Hinds County for your support and your prayers over the last two years.”
He also thanked members of the District Attorney’s Office for their work and expressed gratitude to his family “as we move on to the next chapter.”
Before leaving the courthouse, Owens again addressed reporters, urging residents to pray for the community.
“I ask everyone to pray for the city. Pray for the citizens of Jackson and Hinds County,” he said. “Prayer changes things, and regardless of the outcome of these things, we need to make sure that we’re loving one another and praying for a positive outcome for this city. Because we rise together, and we will fall together.”
Earlier Monday, Owens announced on Facebook that he had submitted his resignation as Hinds County district attorney, effective July 1.
“Today, I officially submitted my resignation as Hinds County District Attorney, effective July 1, 2026,” Owens wrote. “This was one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made.”
Owens called serving as district attorney “the privilege and honor of a lifetime” and praised the prosecutors, investigators, victim advocates and staff in his office.
“While it hurts beyond measure to step away from a position I love, I believe this decision is what is best for me, my family, and the District Attorney’s Office,” he wrote.
He also thanked supporters for their prayers over the past two years and asked that they continue praying for his family as they begin “this next chapter.”
The case stems from a federal investigation into an alleged bribery scheme involving a proposed convention center hotel in downtown Jackson.
According to court filings, federal prosecutors alleged Owens accepted bribe payments and, in a 2024 interview with federal agents, admitted mixing cash from bribe payments with money stored in a safe at the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office to avoid detection. Prosecutors also alleged Owens accepted bribe money inside the District Attorney’s Office at the Hinds County Courthouse.
Read all of Darkhorse Press’s coverage on Jody Owens and the bribery scandal here.
