Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens stepped down Monday after admitting guilt in a wide-ranging federal bribery prosecution in Mississippi.
Owens entered a guilty plea to a conspiracy count Monday in U.S. District Court in Jackson, local station WAPT reported.
According to the report, an October 2024 indictment had originally accused Owens of conspiracy, federal program bribery, wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements.
The allegations grew out of a 2022 FBI sting in which undercover agents presented themselves as real estate developers seeking to build a convention center hotel in downtown Jackson, WAPT reported.
DA Jody Owens pleaded guilty Monday after being indicted in October 2024. (Office of the Hinds County District Attorney)
Federal prosecutors said Owens took at least $115,000 in cash, along with promises of future financial benefits, in return for using his position and connections to help move the project through city government, according to WAPT.
Undercover recordings allegedly showed Owens explaining ways public officials could be paid off and how illegal money could be funneled through businesses and campaign contributions, the outlet reported.
DA Jody Owens faced charges after a federal investigation involving the FBI. (Office of the Hinds County District Attorney)
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In the wake of his guilty plea, Owens took to Facebook on Monday to announce his official resignation, which takes effect July 1.
Calling it “one of the most difficult decisions” he has ever made, Owens wrote that while it “hurts beyond measure” to leave a position he loves, it was the best choice for his family and the district attorney’s office.
DA Jody Owens announced his resignation Monday following his guilty plea. (Office of the Hinds County District Attorney)
“Serving as your District Attorney has been the privilege and honor of a lifetime,” Owens wrote in the post.
“To everyone who has supported, encouraged, and prayed for Michelle, our children, and me over these past two years, thank you.… As we begin this next chapter, I ask only that you continue to keep our family in your prayers,” he added.
A conspiracy conviction carries a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, along with a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Owens’ sentencing date has been set for Oct. 15.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi and Hinds County District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to News Agency’s requests for comment.
