Latin: Scope of Jackson’s bribery scandal enters the picture with new guilty plea

Below is a political analysis column from Russ Latino:

Sherik Marve’ Smith, a business associate of Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens, pleaded guilty Wednesday to his role in funneling bribe payments to elected officials in Jackson.

In August, Jackson City Councilwoman Angelique Lee pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from undercover FBI agents posing as real estate developers in exchange for her support of a hotel development. Lee resigned her City Council seat on the day of her plea and is due to be sentenced on November 13.

On Wednesday, the next shoe dropped, when Sherik Marve’ Smith appeared in federal court to plead guilty to his role in the bribery scandal. The criminal information disclosed in Smith’s case sheds new light on the scope of the federal investigation and suggests additional indictments will be filed against high-profile elected officials.

How it started

Two FBI agents came to Jackson posing as real estate developers in the fall of 2023. The pair enlisted the help of Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens and Sherik Smith to make a proposal to build a hotel.

On March 10, 2024, the hotel construction proposal was jointly submitted by the Contour Companies and Facilities Solution Team. The proposal identified out-of-state developers in Hendersonville, Tennessee and Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Owens and Smith were listed in the proposal as “local business partners.”

Nine days later, on March 19, Owens formed Facility Solutions Team, LLC. The filings list Owens as the registered agent and sole officer of the business.

In May, the FBI raided the Hinds County District Attorney’s office, along with several companies owned by Owens. Federal law enforcement visited Jackson City Hall, where they reportedly sought talks with Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and Jackson Councilman Aaron Banks.

The FBI seized boxes of documents and cell phones during the raids.

Rob McDuff, Owens’ attorney, previously told Mississippi Today reporters, “Two gentlemen who claimed to be successful large-scale developers with their own development company approached him (Owens) about building a convention center hotel in Jackson. He believed them and, after multiple conversations, agreed to help them. Turns out they were FBI agents.”

Former Jackson councilwoman Angelique Lee was the first person arrested as part of the investigation. His plea to federal bribery charges provided some insight into the nature of the operation, but it was quite specific to Lee. The criminal information presented with Smith’s culprit more clearly defines the scope of the needle and introduces new players.

New revelations

When Lee pleaded guilty, criminal information released by the U.S. Attorney’s office identified an “unindicted co-conspirator A,” while eluding other known conspirators. Co-conspirator A allegedly funneled bribe payments from FBI agents to Lee.

Criminal information released in conjunction with Sherik Smith’s guilty plea provides new insights into “Co-conspirator A,” while also identifying two additional unindicted co-conspirators, “Co-conspirator B” and “Co-conspirator C.” both supposedly received. bribes in exchange for their support for the hotel project.

“Co-Conspirator B” is identified as an elected Jackson official who received a $10,000 payment, protective services and the promise of a job for a family member. It is claimed that, like Lee, “Co-Conspirator B” agreed to vote in favor of the hotel development. This complaint involves another member of the Jackson City Council.

“Co-Conspirator C” is identified as an elected Jackson official who received a $10,000 campaign contribution. It is not alleged that this individual had the ability to vote on the hotel project, but instead directed a city employee to move a deadline to allow the FBI hotel proposal to come forward. These allegations suggest an executive role and could implicate the Mayor’s Office.

The criminal information says that Smith and co-conspirator A “negotiated and communicated offers and requests for payment” between FBI operatives and co-conspirators B and C, who “coordinated the time, place, the manner and means of payment and favors”. ”, and that they channeled the payments through the bank accounts they had.

— Article credit to Russ Latino of the Magnolia Tribune —