Jody Owens, the District Attorney for Hinds County, has stepped down from his position after pleading guilty to federal conspiracy charges involving bribery.

欣德斯縣地檢署檢察長 Jody Owens 在承認聯邦賄賂共謀指控後，已從職位上辭職。

The case began with a 2022 undercover operation by the FBI. During this investigation, agents pretended to be real estate developers who wanted to build a hotel for a convention center in Jackson. According to the indictment issued in late 2024, Owens asked for and received at least $115,000 in cash. In return, he promised to help the project get approved by the city government. Furthermore, evidence showed that Owens shared more than $80,000 with other people involved in the scheme, including a $50,000 donation to the reelection campaign of former Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba.

此案始於 FBI 在 2022 年進行的一項臥底行動。在這次調查中，探員偽裝成想要在傑克遜市為會議中心興建酒店的房地產開發商。根據 2024 年底發出的起訴書，Owens 要求並收受了至少 115,000 美元的現金。作為回報，他承諾會協助該項目獲得市政府的批准。此外，證據顯示 Owens 與其他參與計劃的人員分攤了超過 80,000 美元，其中包括向前市長 Chokwe Antar Lumumba 的連任競選活動捐贈 50,000 美元。

This conspiracy affected several city officials beyond the District Attorney's office. While Angelique Lee and Sherik Marve Smith pleaded guilty in 2024, former Mayor Lumumba and former City Council member Aaron B. Banks have denied the charges and will go to trial in mid-July. Consequently, Owens resigned on July 1 after admitting his guilt. He now faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

這起共謀案影響了地檢署辦公室之外的幾名市政府官員。雖然 Angelique Lee 和 Sherik Marve Smith 在 2024 年承認有罪，但前市長 Lumumba 和前市議會成員 Aaron B. Banks 否認指控，並將於 7 月中旬接受審判。因此，Owens 在 7 月 1 日承認有罪後辭職。他目前面臨最高五年的監禁以及 250,000 美元的罰金。

Jody Owens has left his office and is waiting for his sentencing hearing on October 15.

Jody Owens 已離開職務，目前正在等待 10 月 15 日的量刑聽證會。