How the mighty have fallen. Former Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba pleaded guilty to conspiracy in federal court today.
Wearing an immaculate light-colored suit, Lumumba stood before U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan, III surrounded by his three attorneys, answering the judge's questions in a voice bereft of the swagger it usually carried.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Fulcher said the defendant waived his right to contest the conviction and the sentence. Mr. Fulcher said the Justice Department will seek restitution and forfeiture of assets.
A federal grand jury indicted the former Mayor for conspiracy, bribery, honest services wire fraud, money laundering, and use of an interstate facility in aid of racketeering in October 2024. FBI undercover agents bribed Lumumba, Banks, former Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens, Councilwoman Angelique Lee, and insurance agent Marve Smith in a sting operation. The agents posed as developers seeking to bribe public officials so they would get the bid to build a convention center hotel.
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Fulcher recited the facts of the case. The city of Jackson issued a request for quotes for the project. The deadline was March 12, 2024. The city extended it to the end of April 2024 due to a lack of bids. Owens and Lumumba agreed for Lumumba to get a $50,000 payment in exchange for closing the bidding process, thus rigging the bid for the undercover agents.
Owens obtained $50,000 from the undercover and routed it in to five $10,000 payments to Lumumba to avoid bribery laws. Lumumba called a city of Jackson employee to shorten the deadline once he received payment. The bribe took place while Owens and Lumumba partied with the undercover in Miami. Lumumba in turn wrote checks totaling $50,000 that were made out to cash drawn on his campaign account.
Judge Jordan tentatively scheduled sentencing for Lumumba and Banks for October 15. Banks will be sentenced at 1 PM. The defendants remained free on bond.
Owens pleaded guilty to conspiracy a week ago.
The maximum penalty for conspiracy is five years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine.
Banks pleaded guilty to conspiracy as well. The grand jury indicted him for conspiracy and bribery. There was some confusion over whether Banks accepted the "best offer" from the government. Banks said he rejected a better offer that included cooperation. The defendant does not have to cooperate under the plea agreement accepted.
Owens and the developers agreed to bribe Banks to obtain his vote for the project. Banks asked for a $50,000 bribe for his vote. Banks accepted an initial bribe of $10,000 in cash along with a promise of future payments. Banks made smaller cash deposits over the next few days and used the funds to pay personal expenses. The Councilman said he could use his authority as City Council President to withhold raises for city officials if they held up the bid.
37 comments:
Right?
What about the other charges? Are they just dropped?
But wait, his supporters said he was innocent.
How about restitution to the City of Jackson? We're the ones who had to suffer through years of this.
Gives a new meaning to fats, oil and grease.
Trump should pardon him
Sister Rukia and company will spin it into he was forced to plead guilty for some b.s. reason.
So wait a minute, that is it? Can they be on the hook for the expense of this whole affair to taxpayers?
As a Jacksonian, I feel like they really owe us all something! Can they retroactively reimburse us all for the garbage collection and water access fees?
1:42PM,
Right?
We deserve full and complete reparations for living through the sht show that was the past 8-9 years. I've seen bombing runs that left a place in better shape than the Lumumbas did.
Indict him on the garbage contract next.
@1:42 PM 100%!!!
Two white men wearing MAGA hats jumped him outside of a Subway and made him sign the guilty plea.
I haven’t felt this much joy since the water went into receivership, but 1:48 is right- no way this could ever be his fault.
Homie isn't so hard now it he? Remember him and the entourage calling this BS and entrapment and how innocent he was? Part of this deal should be asset forfeiture on the offshore bank account(s). That is where the smoking gun is.
Was his wife in attendance to support her husband?
“Radical”
Waiting on Mississippi Today to link their previous articles on how the FBI made this up and mishandled their investigation/entrapment.
With the Guilty Criminal plea, can a Class Action be formed of Jackson private property owners to go after both him and the various Detroit based NGO's, Lawyers, and Foundations who supported him and perhaps enabled the criminal acts by their financial support? Discovery alone would be worth the effort.
Anyone notice he has two new, local, attorneys now?
Where's the staged processions with his entourage of city employees? What a farce all of that was.
Will the Mauve McMansion require fumigation?
Does the Library's rolling ladder still slide?
Will Architect Ken Tate come out of retirement, for the renovation?
Can Jackson prices, thanks to Mayor BabyChok, even justify a remodel?
Who's best at driving-out evil spirits? Hindus? Zazen? Kabbalists? Exorcists? Zerubabbelists?
Tune in, tomorrow, for AS THE STOMACH TURNS...
Let us all remember that this investigation began under the Biden / Garland DoJ. Lets us all remember that those are leftist Democrats. This was not brought about by Republicans, Trump, MAGA supporters, Tate Reeves, etc.
I Cain’t Breeve
What a sweet deal! What is it with this US Attorney? Conspiracy was the least of the charges involved. This isn’t more than a slap on the wrist
Kingfish…
Will the courts release more of the evidence or will it be sealed?
I imagine when he gets out of the BOP Camp, he will likely try to rehabilitate his image by again claiming he is innocent..
After his incarceration he can't pretend to be a lawyer anymore. It will be full time grifter with numerous NGOs.
While this in unfortunate, I don’t think we should lose sight of the many positive aspects of the Lumumba legacy - both father and son. And let’s not forget that these great men were denied the support of the state that would ensure Jackson was restored to greatness.
Was Rukia in court?
@2:23 Don't worry, he still brought his entourage with him to plead guilty.... He must have dirt on them too or they are all in denial and can't bear the thought that Chokwe and Rukia are just another set of grifters taking advantage of anyone they can! Can't wait to see how they try to spin the guilty plea.
I still think this would have gone deeper into the garbage contract and other dealings and would have uncovered multiple fraudulent schemes until Ashby mistakenly blew their cover in the press. The feds had to fast forward the sting once that happened. No telling what they might have uncovered.
Maybe as part of their plea they'll turn on Richard's and other vendors. Might still be a few good chapters coming.
Unfortunate for whom???
@2:13 - Hell will freeze over first. It is embarrassing how one-sided Mississippi Today is.
@2:44 Is this sarcasm? If so, well played! I don't know enough about the father to comment on him, but there is a reason the state didn't trust Lumumba enough to hand over the blank checks he wanted and this guilty plea only makes the state look smarter.
Troll alert at 2:40 with some fake-ass post to try to work people up. Get a job.
Antar told us he was innocent. He said it will come out in the trial that he is innocent. However now we see that he is just a liar liar pants on fire! I can’t believe I supported this man.
Worst Mayor in history. Sure brought Jackson down.
He and Banks should have gotten the same attorney that Brette Favre and Phil Bryant had so they could just slip out the front door without a word said ....
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