A Jackson City Council member pleaded guilty Wednesday to a federal bribery charge related to a proposed downtown development hours after resigning from her office.
Angelique Lee pleaded guilty to everything detailed in a bill of information.
Lee, who represented northwest Jackson’s Ward 2, admitted to a conspiracy to commit bribery by accepting “cash, deposits and other gifts” valued at more than $5,000 from two federal agents posing as real estate developers from Nashville, Tennessee, who were attempting to influence her and reward her for her vote. She accepted those bribes from the undercover agents through an “unindicted co-conspirator,” according to court documents. Twice they gave her a credit card to go shopping. “Don’t go too crazy but have an f— great time,” the bogus developer told her, according to testimony at Wednesday’s plea hearing.
In March, the “Facility Solutions Team” was one of three companies that bid to build a 335-room hotel across the street from the Jackson Convention Complex. That hotel was slated to include an open entertainment space and a parking garage.
Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens II is listed as the registered agent for the Facility Solutions Team, which is a limited liability company.
The business’ address, the Downtown Cigar Company which is owned by Owens, was raided by the FBI on May 22, along with Owens’ office in the Hinds County Courthouse.
Lee’s attorney, Aafram Sellers, acknowledged the charges against his client are related to the hotel project.
Owens referred questions about Wednesday’s developments to his attorney Rob McDuff. McDuff told Mississippi Today in a statement that it is his understanding the federal investigation is not related to Owens’ work as district attorney.
McDuff acknowledged that Owens has participated in real estate business deals during the past 15 years, including owning two pieces of property in downtown Jackson.
“Two gentlemen who claimed they were successful large-scale developers with their own development company raised with him the possibility of building a convention center hotel in Jackson,” McDuff said. “He believed them, and after multiple conversations, agreed to help them. It turns out they were operatives for the FBI.”
According to the bill of information, Lee voted in favor of the real estate development project proposed by the Nashville developers and supported the closure of a road to aid that project.
“It was further an object of the conspiracy to hide, conceal and cover up the nature and scope of the things of value that Lee received, including the true source and nature of the cash payments,” court papers say.
She received a $10,000 electronic transfer from the FBI sources to pay off a portion of Lee’s campaign debt, a $3,000 cash payment on March 27 of this year, and $6,000 in credit card charges made at a “luxury retail store in the city of Jackson,” according to the indictment. WLBT reported in July that Lee’s wages were being garnished to pay off nearly $21,000 in campaign debt.
Lee will have to forfeit any and all property or proceeds obtained through the criminal actions, including $13,654 in currency, a pair of Valentino wedge sandals, a Christian Louboutin tote bag, earrings, and other items.
In accepting her guilty plea, U.S. District Judge Daniel Jordan III listed what she could no longer do, including holding office and serving on a jury. Lee’s voice broke as she acknowledged, “Yes, sir.”
Lee faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. She is scheduled to be sentenced at 10 a.m. Nov. 13.
Lee, 28, who has a master’s degree, defeated former Hinds County Sheriff Tyrone Lewis in a special election for the Ward 2 seat in 2020. She was elected to a full term the following year.
City Council President Virgi Lindsay released a copy of Lee’s resignation at a brief news conference Wednesday: “Circ*mstances that I am not at liberty to discuss at the moment have led to this decision,” she wrote. “I will greatly miss working with each of you and I am proud of the work that we have done as a collective body for the city of Jackson and its citizens.”
Lindsay said the council has to meet within the next 10 days to schedule a special election and the election will be held 30 to 45 days after that.
Owens was first elected as district attorney in 2019. At the time of the raids, he posted a statement on Facebook that his office continues to “work on behalf of the citizens of Hinds County. That has been and will continue to be our primary focus.”
Owens handled the state’s prosecution of people involved in a massive fraud case involving theft or misspending of millions of federal welfare dollars meant to help the poor.
The Terry native previously served as chief policy counsel and managing attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Mississippi office. He attended Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C., and worked for the late U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran as a legal intern for the Senate Appropriations Committee. Owens is a lieutenant intelligence officer in the Navy Reserves.
UPDATE 8/14/24: This story has been updated to correct Angelique Lee’s position on the Jackson City Council.
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