FBI Raid on Cigar Business Owned by Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens II: Journalist Jerry Mitchell’s Impact on Mississippi Investigative Reporting

On Wednesday morning, the FBI conducted a raid on a cigar business owned by Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens II, as well as his office at the courthouse. The Downtown Cigar Company, where the raid took place, is located just blocks away from the Hinds County Courthouse where Owens serves as a prosecutor.

FBI spokeswoman Marshay Lawson confirmed that federal search warrants were being executed at multiple locations. However, she mentioned that the affidavit supporting the search warrants was sealed by the court, prohibiting further comments on the matter. Lawson also reassured the public that there was no threat to public safety.

During the raid, Owens was not available at his office and did not respond to emails or phone calls seeking his whereabouts or comments on the situation. Meanwhile, journalist Jerry Mitchell’s investigative reporting has had a significant impact on various cases, leading to the imprisonment of Klansmen and a serial killer, as well as the exoneration of individuals on death row and exposing injustices and corruption. Mitchell’s work has resulted in investigations, reforms, and the dismissal of boards and officials implicated in wrongful acts. A Pulitzer Prize finalist and winner of numerous national awards, Mitchell left his position at the Clarion-Ledger in 2019 to establish the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting.