Jody Owens, the District Attorney for Hinds County, stepped down on Monday after admitting his involvement in a complex federal bribery scandal in Mississippi.
On Monday, Owens entered a guilty plea to conspiracy charges in the U.S. District Court located in Jackson, as reported by local news station WAPT.
The indictment brought against Owens in October 2024 initially accused him of conspiracy, federal program bribery, wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements, the report detailed.
The investigation began with a 2022 FBI operation, where agents, posing as real estate developers, engaged Owens under the pretense of constructing a hotel near a convention center in downtown Jackson, according to the outlet.
This plea came in the wake of Owens facing an indictment last October. (Office of the Hinds County District Attorney)
Federal prosecutors allegedthat Owens accepted at least $115,000 in cash, along with promises of future financial perks, in exchange for using his influence to push the project through city government channels, according to WAPT.
Undercover recordings allegedly captured Owens detailing how public officials could be bribed and how the illicit funds could be laundered through businesses and campaign donations, the outlet reported.
DA Jody Owens was charged following a federal investigation involving the FBI. (Office of the Hinds County District Attorney)
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 Media’s requests for comment.