On Wednesday morning, several businesses in Jackson were raided by the FBI’s Jackson office. Among them was Downtown Cigar Company LLC, owned by Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens. The raid was a result of federal search warrants being executed at multiple locations, according to the Mississippi Secretary of State’s website.
FBI spokesperson Marshay Lawson confirmed the raid and stated that affidavits supporting the warrants had been sealed by the court. However, Jody Owens was not immediately available for comment during the raids. FBI agents, along with Capitol Police, surrounded the businesses for several hours.
Jody Owens was elected as Hinds County’s District Attorney in 2019 after previously working as the managing attorney at the Mississippi office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. He was reelected to the office in November 2023. In a separate incident in 2022, Owens was accused of pointing a gun at Joshua Towns of Hattiesburg. Towns claimed to have been visiting his “lady friend” when Owens allegedly entered the apartment and pointed a gun at him. The woman was said to be an employee in Owens’ office, but Owens denied all allegations at the time.
The story is still developing, and further details may emerge as the investigation progresses.
