The sentencing of convicted former Jackson City Councilwoman Angelique Lee, who is facing federal bribery charges, has been delayed.
Lee was originally set to be sentenced on November 13. However, on Monday, Chief District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III signed an order to continue the former councilwoman’s case until “further written order” of the court.
The reason for the sentencing being delayed was not made available to the press or public.
Lee abruptly resigned from her post as the Ward 2 councilwoman on August 14. The 48-year-old is said to have accepted bribes of $13,654 in cash and used an additional $6,000 on a credit card provided by undercover FBI informants between February and March 2024.
On top of the monetary bribes, Lee received designer handbags, and Golden Goose shoes, among other items, to vouch for a major convention center hotel, retail developments, and the closure of a road related to the FBI-staged project through her role as a city council member.
Two individuals were named as “a confidential human source” employed by the FBI and “purported to be a real estate developer from Nashville, Tennessee, seeking to invest in and develop a property in downtown Jackson, Mississippi,” per the five-page filing.
Lee waived her right to a grand jury before entering the guilty plea last week. Her sentencing date is set for Nov. 13. She faces a maximum of five years in prison and $250,000 in fines. A federal judge will determine the former councilwoman’s sentence.
This comes months after FBI agents raided the business and office of Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens while paying a visit to City Hall. An unidentified co-conspirator mentioned in court documents has yet to be indicted.
While other possible bad actors in the corruption scandal have not yet been publicly identified by the Department of Justice, Lee’s council colleague Kenneth Stokes weighed in on whom he thinks is in for a rude awakening.
“We can go with rumor,” Stokes said on Mary Wieden & You back in August. “Rumor has it that it’s going to be the DA, Jody Owens. Rumor has it that’s going to be the mayor, and rumor has it that it might be Councilman Aaron Banks.”
As for Lee’s replacement, a special election was held on Tuesday to determine who will hold the Ward 2 seat. With six candidates vying for the job, a victor was not immediately announced. Officials believe the race is heading to a runoff between Tina Clay and Marcus Cheatam.
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