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"slug": "no-angel-how-a-flawed-star-witness-could-make-or-break-sheng-thaos-bribery-trial",
"title": "‘No Angel’: How a Flawed Star Witness Could Make or Break Sheng Thao’s Bribery Trial",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the federal prosecution of former \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> Mayor Sheng Thao and her alleged co-conspirators, the testimony of the government’s star witness, Mario Juarez — now entering its seventh day — may represent prosecutors’ riskiest gambit yet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under the scrutiny of defense attorneys, who have attacked his past business dealings and attempted to discredit his telling of events, the government’s star witness has sighed and scoffed at his interrogators. He mocked one attorney and taunted others, repeatedly providing meandering responses when one word would suffice. At times, he has provoked the ire of the judge or induced laughter from the audience. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But in a case that seeks to draw a clear line between bribery and responsive constituent services, legal experts say Juarez is a necessary liability, even as defense attorneys attempt to cast doubt on his testimony and present him as a scorned businessman with an axe to grind against his former partners. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The prosecution knew from the start that the defense lawyers were going to tear Juarez apart,” said Robert Weisberg, a criminal law professor at Stanford University. “They obviously felt that on balance, the jury would believe enough of what he said to be true.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez testified that he pled guilty last year to conspiring to bribe Thao. As a co-founder of the company at the heart of the alleged bribery scheme, Evolutionary Homes, Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine told the jury during his opening statement that Juarez would provide an “insider’s view” of boardroom meetings and backroom dealings.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030_ThaoTrialJuarez_Sketch1-KQED-6a501c25.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107531\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030_ThaoTrialJuarez_Sketch1-KQED-6a501c25.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030_ThaoTrialJuarez_Sketch1-KQED-6a501c25-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030_ThaoTrialJuarez_Sketch1-KQED-6a501c25-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030_ThaoTrialJuarez_Sketch1-KQED-6a501c25-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine direct-examines Mario Juarez at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, Fine said he’s “no angel.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors say Juarez, together with defendants David and Andy Duong, bribed Thao with support for her 2022 mayoral campaign and a $300,000 no-show job at Evolutionary Homes for her longtime partner, Andre Jones. In return, Juarez testified that Thao agreed to help the housing startup win a city contract, appoint city staffers of their choosing to director-level positions, and aid the Duongs’ curbside recycling business, California Waste Solutions, with various deals before the city. All four defendants have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors have previously said in a legal filing that they had accumulated significant documentary evidence before ever speaking with Juarez, and that his statements were included in affidavits used to secure search warrants merely for “context and completeness.” Throughout the trial, they’ve presented the jury with elements of that evidence, including text messages, emails and phone records documenting calls between the defendants, along with Apple notes, financial documents and recordings of meetings in which they allege the co-conspirators discuss the deal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But without Juarez’s story giving it context, Weisberg said, the defense would likely be able to explain some of that evidence away.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Think of him as the Ken Burns of the prosecution’s case,” Weisberg said. “He’s the documentary editor who’s putting all these bits and pieces of things together and weaving them into a narrative.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During his direct testimony, Juarez has talked through dozens of pages of text messages and emails he exchanged with the defendants about the alleged deal and told the jury what they supposedly discussed during in-person conversations and at Evolutionary Homes board meetings, where they were photographed or recorded together. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The defense’s tactic, according to former federal prosecutor and current white-collar defense attorney Wilson Leung, is to “chip away at each piece of evidence” prosecutors present. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“If you don’t have some sort of witness who can tie everything together,” he said, “the prosecution may fall prey to the defense claims that the text messages may not mean what the prosecution says they mean, or that the recordings are talking about something entirely innocent, like an actual job rather than a no-show job.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And defense attorneys have already tried to cast doubt on texts and emails in which prosecutors say the co-conspirators are communicating about the scheme. In one example related to the question of a “no-show” job for Jones, his attorney, Shawn Halbert, said that Jones had worked for years as chief of staff to an Oakland city councilmember and had “a tremendous amount of experience in governmental relations.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She asked Juarez if he remembered pitching Evolutionary Homes to Jones, and Jones telling Juarez he could help expand the company beyond the Bay Area. She showed texts Juarez exchanged with Cecilia Mendez, Juarez’s former romantic partner, in which Halbert said Juarez was looking for a vendor to get company business cards for a number of people, including Jones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In another example, Juarez texted Andy Duong in October 2022 that he “met with Sheng.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“She will buy 100 units… If mayor,” Juarez said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Ok,” Andy Duong said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Thao’s attorney, Jeffrey Tsai, said Juarez never sent anything in writing to Thao about the alleged scheme.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104424\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jeffrey Tsai (left), attorney for former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (second from right), gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Thao and co-defendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“You will receive no evidence in this trial that [Juarez] sent any such message to Sheng Thao,” Tsai said in his opening statement. “And that’s because what he wrote wasn’t true.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Winston Chan, an attorney for Andy Duong, used a different metaphor in his opening statement to describe prosecutors’ reliance on Juarez to walk the jury through the evidence. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The government has pointed to stars in the sky — notes on a phone, checks, et cetera,” Chan said. “The government has and is going to draw lines between the stars and say there is only one picture in the whole universe to be painted. It will be painted by Mario Juarez.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Steven Clark, a criminal defense attorney and former Santa Clara County District Attorney, said he expects that in closing statements, defense attorneys might try to suggest that the evidence prosecutors presented is just a display of constituent assistance — city contractors donating money to a politician who they believed could help their business interests, and getting that help down the line — that’s been unfairly embellished by Juarez, a known fraudster and vengeful ex-business partner, to serve his own interests. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“There’s a fine line,” Clark said. “Where you draw that line — between a politician accepting money and responding to constituents and bribery — is the line that’s going to be drawn here by this jury.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">An unreliable narrator\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For prosecutors, how jurors respond to Juarez is a gamble. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Weisberg said Juarez’s prior legal and financial trouble and willingness to rat out his former business partners in hopes of a more lenient sentence could make him unlikely “to come across as your local reliable pastor.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In their cross-examinations, defense attorneys have questioned Juarez about his “decades-long history of fraud” and tried to appeal to jurors’ empathy toward people he’s allegedly harmed in the past.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-01-BL-KQED-1fd45511.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107521\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-01-BL-KQED-1fd45511.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-01-BL-KQED-1fd45511-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-01-BL-KQED-1fd45511-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026, followed by supporters. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last week, Ed Swanson, a defense attorney for David Duong, drilled into what he called Juarez’s pattern of ripping off “minority-owned businesses and organizations in Oakland” — from writing bad checks to the business owner he hired to print Thao’s campaign mailers to pocketing a loan repayment from a first-time homebuyer intended for the non-profit Juarez was working for. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The homebuyer “ended up with a lien on her property to this day, correct?” Swanson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I don’t know,” Juarez said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Swanson asked Juarez a series of questions about invoices related to the mailer campaign, Juarez snapped: “Counsel, you have a hard job defending your clients.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Swanson looked to Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers for support, calling Juarez’s behavior “offensive.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-08-BL-KQED-6bf76925.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107523\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-08-BL-KQED-6bf76925.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-08-BL-KQED-6bf76925-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-08-BL-KQED-6bf76925-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Supporters of the Duong family stand outside the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gonzalez Rogers has repeatedly intervened and directed Juarez to answer attorneys’ questions when he’s given run-on answers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Mr. Juarez, can you just listen to the question and answer the question? Otherwise we’re going to be here forever,” she said during cross-examination last week.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later, when Jones’ attorney Shawn Halbert took her turn to cross-examine Juarez, the defense attorney raised her hand in a signal for Juarez to stop talking after he had again launched into a long-winded response to her yes-or-no question. Juarez copied her motion with apparent mockery. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At other points, Juarez has insisted he did not recognize the printing or signature of his name on financial documents and refused to accept facts presented by the defense. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How jurors respond to his cagey and combative temperament is hard to predict, legal experts say. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some might see his pushback to defense attorneys’ questions as a signal of his inside knowledge and be impressed by him “stressing his factual accuracy,” Weisberg said. But they could also be put off by his demeanor — especially if they can tell that the judge is unhappy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Regardless, when it comes to a conviction, Weisberg said the jury doesn’t have to like him.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They could find him aggressive, obnoxious, evasive, and nevertheless,” he said, “they could still believe a lot of what he says.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sowing reasonable doubt\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For that reason, defense attorneys have also started to cast doubt on Juarez’s telling of the scheme, laying the groundwork to present it as a vengeance-fueled exaggeration — motivated by his explosive falling out with the Duongs and their threats to sue him over what they’ve described as an $800,000 loss of their investment in Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What the defense wants to portray is that this is a payback for him not getting what he wanted,” Clark said. “He’s just someone that can’t be trusted. He’s got an axe to grind, and he’s got a motivation to make this look a lot worse than it is.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his cross-examination, Swanson homed in on that spring day in 2024, when Juarez’s relationship with the Duongs collapsed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103338\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home development for people who are exiting homelessness. (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More than a year after striking their alleged deal with Thao, the housing startup had yet to sign a contract with the city of Oakland. They had produced just two model housing units. Juarez testified they had laid off a number of employees in their Tijuana manufacturing plant. Juarez and the Duongs traded accusations that the other owed them money.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said on the stand he requested to dissolve the company, and the Duongs threatened to take legal action. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then, on May 3, 2024, Juarez testified that he arrived at the California Waste Solutions and Evolutionary Homes offices to find himself locked out. After a confrontation with several members of the Duong family, Juarez said he went to the parking lot, where 10 people attacked him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the days after the fight, Juarez reported the alleged attack to police and accused the Duongs of other crimes, including “racketeering and organized crime.” Halbert, questioning Juarez on the stand, said he had told police he had been bruised from the fight, but that an officer told him he couldn’t see any bruises. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Swanson asked Juarez if, when he spoke to police, he was “telling officers that [he] wanted the FBI involved?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“You wanted to know if your report could be used for a federal indictment?” Swanson asked Juarez. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez eventually answered yes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A month later, on June 6, Juarez got the interview with the FBI he was seeking.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The jury had already heard that version of events from the prosecution and from Juarez. But during his cross-examination, Swanson provided a new detail: He asked Juarez about a text message he sent to Andreas Cluver, a prominent labor leader in Alameda County’s Building and Construction Trades Council, just two days prior to his meeting with the FBI.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Isn’t it true,” Swanson asked with an image of the message displayed on courtroom screens, “that you wrote to Andreas Cluver: ‘I need to fuck the Duongs?’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The audience gasped.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the federal prosecution of former \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> Mayor Sheng Thao and her alleged co-conspirators, the testimony of the government’s star witness, Mario Juarez — now entering its seventh day — may represent prosecutors’ riskiest gambit yet. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the federal prosecution of former \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> Mayor Sheng Thao and her alleged co-conspirators, the testimony of the government’s star witness, Mario Juarez — now entering its seventh day — may represent prosecutors’ riskiest gambit yet. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under the scrutiny of defense attorneys, who have attacked his past business dealings and attempted to discredit his telling of events, the government’s star witness has sighed and scoffed at his interrogators. He mocked one attorney and taunted others, repeatedly providing meandering responses when one word would suffice. At times, he has provoked the ire of the judge or induced laughter from the audience. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Under the scrutiny of defense attorneys, who have attacked his past business dealings and attempted to discredit his telling of events, the government’s star witness has sighed and scoffed at his interrogators. He mocked one attorney and taunted others, repeatedly providing meandering responses when one word would suffice. At times, he has provoked the ire of the judge or induced laughter from the audience. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But in a case that seeks to draw a clear line between bribery and responsive constituent services, legal experts say Juarez is a necessary liability, even as defense attorneys attempt to cast doubt on his testimony and present him as a scorned businessman with an axe to grind against his former partners. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But in a case that seeks to draw a clear line between bribery and responsive constituent services, legal experts say Juarez is a necessary liability, even as defense attorneys attempt to cast doubt on his testimony and present him as a scorned businessman with an axe to grind against his former partners. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The prosecution knew from the start that the defense lawyers were going to tear Juarez apart,” said Robert Weisberg, a criminal law professor at Stanford University. “They obviously felt that on balance, the jury would believe enough of what he said to be true.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez testified that he pled guilty last year to conspiring to bribe Thao. As a co-founder of the company at the heart of the alleged bribery scheme, Evolutionary Homes, Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine told the jury during his opening statement that Juarez would provide an “insider’s view” of boardroom meetings and backroom dealings.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Juarez testified that he pled guilty last year to conspiring to bribe Thao. As a co-founder of the company at the heart of the alleged bribery scheme, Evolutionary Homes, Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine told the jury during his opening statement that Juarez would provide an “insider’s view” of boardroom meetings and backroom dealings.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030_ThaoTrialJuarez_Sketch1-KQED-6a501c25.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107531\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030_ThaoTrialJuarez_Sketch1-KQED-6a501c25.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030_ThaoTrialJuarez_Sketch1-KQED-6a501c25-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030_ThaoTrialJuarez_Sketch1-KQED-6a501c25-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030_ThaoTrialJuarez_Sketch1-KQED-6a501c25-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine direct-examines Mario Juarez at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030_ThaoTrialJuarez_Sketch1-KQED-6a501c25.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107531\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine direct-examines Mario Juarez at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, Fine said he’s “no angel.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say Juarez, together with defendants David and Andy Duong, bribed Thao with support for her 2022 mayoral campaign and a $300,000 no-show job at Evolutionary Homes for her longtime partner, Andre Jones. In return, Juarez testified that Thao agreed to help the housing startup win a city contract, appoint city staffers of their choosing to director-level positions, and aid the Duongs’ curbside recycling business, California Waste Solutions, with various deals before the city. All four defendants have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say Juarez, together with defendants David and Andy Duong, bribed Thao with support for her 2022 mayoral campaign and a $300,000 no-show job at Evolutionary Homes for her longtime partner, Andre Jones. In return, Juarez testified that Thao agreed to help the housing startup win a city contract, appoint city staffers of their choosing to director-level positions, and aid the Duongs’ curbside recycling business, California Waste Solutions, with various deals before the city. All four defendants have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have previously said in a legal filing that they had accumulated significant documentary evidence before ever speaking with Juarez, and that his statements were included in affidavits used to secure search warrants merely for “context and completeness.” Throughout the trial, they’ve presented the jury with elements of that evidence, including text messages, emails and phone records documenting calls between the defendants, along with Apple notes, financial documents and recordings of meetings in which they allege the co-conspirators discuss the deal. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have previously said in a legal filing that they had accumulated significant documentary evidence before ever speaking with Juarez, and that his statements were included in affidavits used to secure search warrants merely for “context and completeness.” Throughout the trial, they’ve presented the jury with elements of that evidence, including text messages, emails and phone records documenting calls between the defendants, along with Apple notes, financial documents and recordings of meetings in which they allege the co-conspirators discuss the deal. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But without Juarez’s story giving it context, Weisberg said, the defense would likely be able to explain some of that evidence away.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Think of him as the Ken Burns of the prosecution’s case,” Weisberg said. “He’s the documentary editor who’s putting all these bits and pieces of things together and weaving them into a narrative.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Think of him as the Ken Burns of the prosecution’s case,” Weisberg said. “He’s the documentary editor who’s putting all these bits and pieces of things together and weaving them into a narrative.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During his direct testimony, Juarez has talked through dozens of pages of text messages and emails he exchanged with the defendants about the alleged deal and told the jury what they supposedly discussed during in-person conversations and at Evolutionary Homes board meetings, where they were photographed or recorded together. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During his direct testimony, Juarez has talked through dozens of pages of text messages and emails he exchanged with the defendants about the alleged deal and told the jury what they supposedly discussed during in-person conversations and at Evolutionary Homes board meetings, where they were photographed or recorded together. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The defense’s tactic, according to former federal prosecutor and current white-collar defense attorney Wilson Leung, is to “chip away at each piece of evidence” prosecutors present. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The defense’s tactic, according to former federal prosecutor and current white-collar defense attorney Wilson Leung, is to “chip away at each piece of evidence” prosecutors present. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If you don’t have some sort of witness who can tie everything together,” he said, “the prosecution may fall prey to the defense claims that the text messages may not mean what the prosecution says they mean, or that the recordings are talking about something entirely innocent, like an actual job rather than a no-show job.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If you don’t have some sort of witness who can tie everything together,” he said, “the prosecution may fall prey to the defense claims that the text messages may not mean what the prosecution says they mean, or that the recordings are talking about something entirely innocent, like an actual job rather than a no-show job.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And defense attorneys have already tried to cast doubt on texts and emails in which prosecutors say the co-conspirators are communicating about the scheme. In one example related to the question of a “no-show” job for Jones, his attorney, Shawn Halbert, said that Jones had worked for years as chief of staff to an Oakland city councilmember and had “a tremendous amount of experience in governmental relations.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And defense attorneys have already tried to cast doubt on texts and emails in which prosecutors say the co-conspirators are communicating about the scheme. In one example related to the question of a “no-show” job for Jones, his attorney, Shawn Halbert, said that Jones had worked for years as chief of staff to an Oakland city councilmember and had “a tremendous amount of experience in governmental relations.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She asked Juarez if he remembered pitching Evolutionary Homes to Jones, and Jones telling Juarez he could help expand the company beyond the Bay Area. She showed texts Juarez exchanged with Cecilia Mendez, Juarez’s former romantic partner, in which Halbert said Juarez was looking for a vendor to get company business cards for a number of people, including Jones. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She asked Juarez if he remembered pitching Evolutionary Homes to Jones, and Jones telling Juarez he could help expand the company beyond the Bay Area. She showed texts Juarez exchanged with Cecilia Mendez, Juarez’s former romantic partner, in which Halbert said Juarez was looking for a vendor to get company business cards for a number of people, including Jones. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In another example, Juarez texted Andy Duong in October 2022 that he “met with Sheng.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“She will buy 100 units… If mayor,” Juarez said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Ok,” Andy Duong said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Thao’s attorney, Jeffrey Tsai, said Juarez never sent anything in writing to Thao about the alleged scheme.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104424\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jeffrey Tsai (left), attorney for former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (second from right), gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Thao and co-defendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You will receive no evidence in this trial that [Juarez] sent any such message to Sheng Thao,” Tsai said in his opening statement. “And that’s because what he wrote wasn’t true.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Winston Chan, an attorney for Andy Duong, used a different metaphor in his opening statement to describe prosecutors’ reliance on Juarez to walk the jury through the evidence. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The government has pointed to stars in the sky — notes on a phone, checks, et cetera,” Chan said. “The government has and is going to draw lines between the stars and say there is only one picture in the whole universe to be painted. It will be painted by Mario Juarez.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Steven Clark, a criminal defense attorney and former Santa Clara County District Attorney, said he expects that in closing statements, defense attorneys might try to suggest that the evidence prosecutors presented is just a display of constituent assistance — city contractors donating money to a politician who they believed could help their business interests, and getting that help down the line — that’s been unfairly embellished by Juarez, a known fraudster and vengeful ex-business partner, to serve his own interests. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s a fine line,” Clark said. “Where you draw that line — between a politician accepting money and responding to constituents and bribery — is the line that’s going to be drawn here by this jury.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "An unreliable narrator",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For prosecutors, how jurors respond to Juarez is a gamble. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Weisberg said Juarez’s prior legal and financial trouble and willingness to rat out his former business partners in hopes of a more lenient sentence could make him unlikely “to come across as your local reliable pastor.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In their cross-examinations, defense attorneys have questioned Juarez about his “decades-long history of fraud” and tried to appeal to jurors’ empathy toward people he’s allegedly harmed in the past.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-01-BL-KQED-1fd45511.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107521\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-01-BL-KQED-1fd45511.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-01-BL-KQED-1fd45511-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-01-BL-KQED-1fd45511-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026, followed by supporters.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-01-BL-KQED-1fd45511.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107521\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026, followed by supporters.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last week, Ed Swanson, a defense attorney for David Duong, drilled into what he called Juarez’s pattern of ripping off “minority-owned businesses and organizations in Oakland” — from writing bad checks to the business owner he hired to print Thao’s campaign mailers to pocketing a loan repayment from a first-time homebuyer intended for the non-profit Juarez was working for. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The homebuyer “ended up with a lien on her property to this day, correct?” Swanson said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I don’t know,” Juarez said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After Swanson asked Juarez a series of questions about invoices related to the mailer campaign, Juarez snapped: “Counsel, you have a hard job defending your clients.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Swanson looked to Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers for support, calling Juarez’s behavior “offensive.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-08-BL-KQED-6bf76925.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107523\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-08-BL-KQED-6bf76925.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-08-BL-KQED-6bf76925-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-08-BL-KQED-6bf76925-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Supporters of the Duong family stand outside the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-08-BL-KQED-6bf76925.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107523\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Supporters of the Duong family stand outside the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gonzalez Rogers has repeatedly intervened and directed Juarez to answer attorneys’ questions when he’s given run-on answers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Mr. Juarez, can you just listen to the question and answer the question? Otherwise we’re going to be here forever,” she said during cross-examination last week.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Later, when Jones’ attorney Shawn Halbert took her turn to cross-examine Juarez, the defense attorney raised her hand in a signal for Juarez to stop talking after he had again launched into a long-winded response to her yes-or-no question. Juarez copied her motion with apparent mockery. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Later, when Jones’ attorney Shawn Halbert took her turn to cross-examine Juarez, the defense attorney raised her hand in a signal for Juarez to stop talking after he had again launched into a long-winded response to her yes-or-no question. Juarez copied her motion with apparent mockery. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At other points, Juarez has insisted he did not recognize the printing or signature of his name on financial documents and refused to accept facts presented by the defense. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At other points, Juarez has insisted he did not recognize the printing or signature of his name on financial documents and refused to accept facts presented by the defense. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>How jurors respond to his cagey and combative temperament is hard to predict, legal experts say. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some might see his pushback to defense attorneys’ questions as a signal of his inside knowledge and be impressed by him “stressing his factual accuracy,” Weisberg said. But they could also be put off by his demeanor — especially if they can tell that the judge is unhappy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They could find him aggressive, obnoxious, evasive, and nevertheless,” he said, “they could still believe a lot of what he says.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For that reason, defense attorneys have also started to cast doubt on Juarez’s telling of the scheme, laying the groundwork to present it as a vengeance-fueled exaggeration — motivated by his explosive falling out with the Duongs and their threats to sue him over what they’ve described as an $800,000 loss of their investment in Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For that reason, defense attorneys have also started to cast doubt on Juarez’s telling of the scheme, laying the groundwork to present it as a vengeance-fueled exaggeration — motivated by his explosive falling out with the Duongs and their threats to sue him over what they’ve described as an $800,000 loss of their investment in Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What the defense wants to portray is that this is a payback for him not getting what he wanted,” Clark said. “He’s just someone that can’t be trusted. He’s got an axe to grind, and he’s got a motivation to make this look a lot worse than it is.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In his cross-examination, Swanson homed in on that spring day in 2024, when Juarez’s relationship with the Duongs collapsed.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103338\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home development for people who are exiting homelessness. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>More than a year after striking their alleged deal with Thao, the housing startup had yet to sign a contract with the city of Oakland. They had produced just two model housing units. Juarez testified they had laid off a number of employees in their Tijuana manufacturing plant. Juarez and the Duongs traded accusations that the other owed them money.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>More than a year after striking their alleged deal with Thao, the housing startup had yet to sign a contract with the city of Oakland. They had produced just two model housing units. Juarez testified they had laid off a number of employees in their Tijuana manufacturing plant. Juarez and the Duongs traded accusations that the other owed them money.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez said on the stand he requested to dissolve the company, and the Duongs threatened to take legal action. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Then, on May 3, 2024, Juarez testified that he arrived at the California Waste Solutions and Evolutionary Homes offices to find himself locked out. After a confrontation with several members of the Duong family, Juarez said he went to the parking lot, where 10 people attacked him. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Then, on May 3, 2024, Juarez testified that he arrived at the California Waste Solutions and Evolutionary Homes offices to find himself locked out. After a confrontation with several members of the Duong family, Juarez said he went to the parking lot, where 10 people attacked him. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the days after the fight, Juarez reported the alleged attack to police and accused the Duongs of other crimes, including “racketeering and organized crime.” Halbert, questioning Juarez on the stand, said he had told police he had been bruised from the fight, but that an officer told him he couldn’t see any bruises. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the days after the fight, Juarez reported the alleged attack to police and accused the Duongs of other crimes, including “racketeering and organized crime.” Halbert, questioning Juarez on the stand, said he had told police he had been bruised from the fight, but that an officer told him he couldn’t see any bruises. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Swanson asked Juarez if, when he spoke to police, he was “telling officers that [he] wanted the FBI involved?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You wanted to know if your report could be used for a federal indictment?” Swanson asked Juarez. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“You wanted to know if your report could be used for a federal indictment?” Swanson asked Juarez. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez eventually answered yes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A month later, on June 6, Juarez got the interview with the FBI he was seeking.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A month later, on June 6, Juarez got the interview with the FBI he was seeking.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The jury had already heard that version of events from the prosecution and from Juarez. But during his cross-examination, Swanson provided a new detail: He asked Juarez about a text message he sent to Andreas Cluver, a prominent labor leader in Alameda County’s Building and Construction Trades Council, just two days prior to his meeting with the FBI.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The jury had already heard that version of events from the prosecution and from Juarez. But during his cross-examination, Swanson provided a new detail: He asked Juarez about a text message he sent to Andreas Cluver, a prominent labor leader in Alameda County’s Building and Construction Trades Council, just two days prior to his meeting with the FBI.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Isn’t it true,” Swanson asked with an image of the message displayed on courtroom screens, “that you wrote to Andreas Cluver: ‘I need to fuck the Duongs?’” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Isn’t it true,” Swanson asked with an image of the message displayed on courtroom screens, “that you wrote to Andreas Cluver: ‘I need to fuck the Duongs?’” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The audience gasped.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Mario Juarez, the star witness in Sheng Thao’s Oakland corruption trial, has testified for a week about the alleged scheme to bribe the former mayor. ",
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"title": "‘No Angel’: How a Flawed Star Witness Could Make or Break Sheng Thao’s Bribery Trial | KQED",
"description": "Mario Juarez, the star witness in Sheng Thao’s Oakland corruption trial, has testified for a week about the alleged scheme to bribe the former mayor. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the federal prosecution of former \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> Mayor Sheng Thao and her alleged co-conspirators, the testimony of the government’s star witness, Mario Juarez — now entering its seventh day — may represent prosecutors’ riskiest gambit yet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under the scrutiny of defense attorneys, who have attacked his past business dealings and attempted to discredit his telling of events, the government’s star witness has sighed and scoffed at his interrogators. He mocked one attorney and taunted others, repeatedly providing meandering responses when one word would suffice. At times, he has provoked the ire of the judge or induced laughter from the audience. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But in a case that seeks to draw a clear line between bribery and responsive constituent services, legal experts say Juarez is a necessary liability, even as defense attorneys attempt to cast doubt on his testimony and present him as a scorned businessman with an axe to grind against his former partners. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The prosecution knew from the start that the defense lawyers were going to tear Juarez apart,” said Robert Weisberg, a criminal law professor at Stanford University. “They obviously felt that on balance, the jury would believe enough of what he said to be true.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez testified that he pled guilty last year to conspiring to bribe Thao. As a co-founder of the company at the heart of the alleged bribery scheme, Evolutionary Homes, Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine told the jury during his opening statement that Juarez would provide an “insider’s view” of boardroom meetings and backroom dealings.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030_ThaoTrialJuarez_Sketch1-KQED-6a501c25.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107531\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030_ThaoTrialJuarez_Sketch1-KQED-6a501c25.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030_ThaoTrialJuarez_Sketch1-KQED-6a501c25-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030_ThaoTrialJuarez_Sketch1-KQED-6a501c25-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030_ThaoTrialJuarez_Sketch1-KQED-6a501c25-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine direct-examines Mario Juarez at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, Fine said he’s “no angel.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors say Juarez, together with defendants David and Andy Duong, bribed Thao with support for her 2022 mayoral campaign and a $300,000 no-show job at Evolutionary Homes for her longtime partner, Andre Jones. In return, Juarez testified that Thao agreed to help the housing startup win a city contract, appoint city staffers of their choosing to director-level positions, and aid the Duongs’ curbside recycling business, California Waste Solutions, with various deals before the city. All four defendants have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors have previously said in a legal filing that they had accumulated significant documentary evidence before ever speaking with Juarez, and that his statements were included in affidavits used to secure search warrants merely for “context and completeness.” Throughout the trial, they’ve presented the jury with elements of that evidence, including text messages, emails and phone records documenting calls between the defendants, along with Apple notes, financial documents and recordings of meetings in which they allege the co-conspirators discuss the deal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But without Juarez’s story giving it context, Weisberg said, the defense would likely be able to explain some of that evidence away.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Think of him as the Ken Burns of the prosecution’s case,” Weisberg said. “He’s the documentary editor who’s putting all these bits and pieces of things together and weaving them into a narrative.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During his direct testimony, Juarez has talked through dozens of pages of text messages and emails he exchanged with the defendants about the alleged deal and told the jury what they supposedly discussed during in-person conversations and at Evolutionary Homes board meetings, where they were photographed or recorded together. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The defense’s tactic, according to former federal prosecutor and current white-collar defense attorney Wilson Leung, is to “chip away at each piece of evidence” prosecutors present. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“If you don’t have some sort of witness who can tie everything together,” he said, “the prosecution may fall prey to the defense claims that the text messages may not mean what the prosecution says they mean, or that the recordings are talking about something entirely innocent, like an actual job rather than a no-show job.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And defense attorneys have already tried to cast doubt on texts and emails in which prosecutors say the co-conspirators are communicating about the scheme. In one example related to the question of a “no-show” job for Jones, his attorney, Shawn Halbert, said that Jones had worked for years as chief of staff to an Oakland city councilmember and had “a tremendous amount of experience in governmental relations.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She asked Juarez if he remembered pitching Evolutionary Homes to Jones, and Jones telling Juarez he could help expand the company beyond the Bay Area. She showed texts Juarez exchanged with Cecilia Mendez, Juarez’s former romantic partner, in which Halbert said Juarez was looking for a vendor to get company business cards for a number of people, including Jones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In another example, Juarez texted Andy Duong in October 2022 that he “met with Sheng.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“She will buy 100 units… If mayor,” Juarez said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Ok,” Andy Duong said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Thao’s attorney, Jeffrey Tsai, said Juarez never sent anything in writing to Thao about the alleged scheme.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104424\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jeffrey Tsai (left), attorney for former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (second from right), gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Thao and co-defendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“You will receive no evidence in this trial that [Juarez] sent any such message to Sheng Thao,” Tsai said in his opening statement. “And that’s because what he wrote wasn’t true.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Winston Chan, an attorney for Andy Duong, used a different metaphor in his opening statement to describe prosecutors’ reliance on Juarez to walk the jury through the evidence. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The government has pointed to stars in the sky — notes on a phone, checks, et cetera,” Chan said. “The government has and is going to draw lines between the stars and say there is only one picture in the whole universe to be painted. It will be painted by Mario Juarez.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Steven Clark, a criminal defense attorney and former Santa Clara County District Attorney, said he expects that in closing statements, defense attorneys might try to suggest that the evidence prosecutors presented is just a display of constituent assistance — city contractors donating money to a politician who they believed could help their business interests, and getting that help down the line — that’s been unfairly embellished by Juarez, a known fraudster and vengeful ex-business partner, to serve his own interests. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“There’s a fine line,” Clark said. “Where you draw that line — between a politician accepting money and responding to constituents and bribery — is the line that’s going to be drawn here by this jury.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">An unreliable narrator\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For prosecutors, how jurors respond to Juarez is a gamble. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Weisberg said Juarez’s prior legal and financial trouble and willingness to rat out his former business partners in hopes of a more lenient sentence could make him unlikely “to come across as your local reliable pastor.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In their cross-examinations, defense attorneys have questioned Juarez about his “decades-long history of fraud” and tried to appeal to jurors’ empathy toward people he’s allegedly harmed in the past.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-01-BL-KQED-1fd45511.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107521\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-01-BL-KQED-1fd45511.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-01-BL-KQED-1fd45511-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-01-BL-KQED-1fd45511-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026, followed by supporters. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last week, Ed Swanson, a defense attorney for David Duong, drilled into what he called Juarez’s pattern of ripping off “minority-owned businesses and organizations in Oakland” — from writing bad checks to the business owner he hired to print Thao’s campaign mailers to pocketing a loan repayment from a first-time homebuyer intended for the non-profit Juarez was working for. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The homebuyer “ended up with a lien on her property to this day, correct?” Swanson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I don’t know,” Juarez said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Swanson asked Juarez a series of questions about invoices related to the mailer campaign, Juarez snapped: “Counsel, you have a hard job defending your clients.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Swanson looked to Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers for support, calling Juarez’s behavior “offensive.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-08-BL-KQED-6bf76925.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107523\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-08-BL-KQED-6bf76925.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-08-BL-KQED-6bf76925-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-08-BL-KQED-6bf76925-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Supporters of the Duong family stand outside the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gonzalez Rogers has repeatedly intervened and directed Juarez to answer attorneys’ questions when he’s given run-on answers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Mr. Juarez, can you just listen to the question and answer the question? Otherwise we’re going to be here forever,” she said during cross-examination last week.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later, when Jones’ attorney Shawn Halbert took her turn to cross-examine Juarez, the defense attorney raised her hand in a signal for Juarez to stop talking after he had again launched into a long-winded response to her yes-or-no question. Juarez copied her motion with apparent mockery. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At other points, Juarez has insisted he did not recognize the printing or signature of his name on financial documents and refused to accept facts presented by the defense. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How jurors respond to his cagey and combative temperament is hard to predict, legal experts say. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some might see his pushback to defense attorneys’ questions as a signal of his inside knowledge and be impressed by him “stressing his factual accuracy,” Weisberg said. But they could also be put off by his demeanor — especially if they can tell that the judge is unhappy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Regardless, when it comes to a conviction, Weisberg said the jury doesn’t have to like him.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They could find him aggressive, obnoxious, evasive, and nevertheless,” he said, “they could still believe a lot of what he says.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sowing reasonable doubt\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For that reason, defense attorneys have also started to cast doubt on Juarez’s telling of the scheme, laying the groundwork to present it as a vengeance-fueled exaggeration — motivated by his explosive falling out with the Duongs and their threats to sue him over what they’ve described as an $800,000 loss of their investment in Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What the defense wants to portray is that this is a payback for him not getting what he wanted,” Clark said. “He’s just someone that can’t be trusted. He’s got an axe to grind, and he’s got a motivation to make this look a lot worse than it is.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his cross-examination, Swanson homed in on that spring day in 2024, when Juarez’s relationship with the Duongs collapsed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103338\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home development for people who are exiting homelessness. (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More than a year after striking their alleged deal with Thao, the housing startup had yet to sign a contract with the city of Oakland. They had produced just two model housing units. Juarez testified they had laid off a number of employees in their Tijuana manufacturing plant. Juarez and the Duongs traded accusations that the other owed them money.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said on the stand he requested to dissolve the company, and the Duongs threatened to take legal action. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then, on May 3, 2024, Juarez testified that he arrived at the California Waste Solutions and Evolutionary Homes offices to find himself locked out. After a confrontation with several members of the Duong family, Juarez said he went to the parking lot, where 10 people attacked him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the days after the fight, Juarez reported the alleged attack to police and accused the Duongs of other crimes, including “racketeering and organized crime.” Halbert, questioning Juarez on the stand, said he had told police he had been bruised from the fight, but that an officer told him he couldn’t see any bruises. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Swanson asked Juarez if, when he spoke to police, he was “telling officers that [he] wanted the FBI involved?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“You wanted to know if your report could be used for a federal indictment?” Swanson asked Juarez. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez eventually answered yes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A month later, on June 6, Juarez got the interview with the FBI he was seeking.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The jury had already heard that version of events from the prosecution and from Juarez. But during his cross-examination, Swanson provided a new detail: He asked Juarez about a text message he sent to Andreas Cluver, a prominent labor leader in Alameda County’s Building and Construction Trades Council, just two days prior to his meeting with the FBI.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Isn’t it true,” Swanson asked with an image of the message displayed on courtroom screens, “that you wrote to Andreas Cluver: ‘I need to fuck the Duongs?’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The audience gasped.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "california-prison-officials-failed-to-complete-thousands-of-misconduct-investigations-report-finds",
"title": "California Prison Officials Failed to Complete Thousands of Misconduct Investigations, Report Finds",
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"headTitle": "California Prison Officials Failed to Complete Thousands of Misconduct Investigations, Report Finds | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california-department-of-corrections-and-rehabilitation\">prisoner\u003c/a> said that officers attacked him, sending him to the hospital for five days. Another complained that an officer grabbed him by the hair and slammed his face into the concrete. An incarcerated woman alleged an officer refused to take her for a sexual assault examination.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These are among the 3,500 complaints filed by incarcerated people that California prison officials failed to investigate in a timely manner, in the first six months of 2026, \u003ca href=\"https://www.oig.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/Staff-Misconduct-Monitoring-Report-January-%E2%80%93-June-2026.pdf\">according to a new report from the Office of the Inspector General\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The semiannual report sent to the governor and state Legislature details how the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation handled internal investigations and officer discipline between January and July of this year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/CDCRFolo-KQED-bbaf84bb.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12109068\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/CDCRFolo-KQED-bbaf84bb.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/CDCRFolo-KQED-bbaf84bb-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/CDCRFolo-KQED-bbaf84bb-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Screenshot from the Office of the Inspector General Staff Misconduct Monitoring Report, January-June 2026. (Courtesy of Office of the Inspector General, State of California)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the report said that CDCR’s overall handling of misconduct “has improved,” it noted the performance of one division, the Allegation Investigation Unit, or AIU, has “declined dramatically.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The AIU was set up in 2022, as part of an effort by prison officials to more thoroughly and fairly address the thousands of complaints made by incarcerated people each year. But recent reports from the inspector general reveal an escalating crisis in the unit, driven by ballooning caseloads, delayed investigations and a growing backlog of complaints. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In contrast, the report found that CDCR’s traditional Office of Internal Affairs, which handles serious criminal allegations and complaints coming from other staff members, rather than prisoners, stayed largely consistent in its performance.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“CDCR takes staff misconduct allegations seriously, and timely, thorough investigations are essential to accountability and the safety of our institutions,” agency spokesperson Terri Hardy wrote in an email. She said the agency has created a four-tier prioritization system and increased staffing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Former AIU chief David Starnes told KQED that when he took over the unit two years ago, CDCR’s executive leadership knew there was a flood of complaints, but undermined his efforts to triage cases and hire staff. When he retired last month, Starnes said the unit was completely overwhelmed by a backlog of cases. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> The number of open cases topped 10,000 in June 2025, according to a report released by the inspector general last year. The latest findings show that number has nearly doubled to 19,000, with a single investigator averaging 135 open cases at a time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“ We had them as high as 200 cases at one point,” Starnes said, noting that those cases didn’t go away. “They’re still sitting in a queue and the department, quote-unquote, ‘is gonna work them someday.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under California’s peace officers’ bill of rights, if an agency doesn’t investigate a complaint within a year, it can’t discipline officers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/CDCRFolo_2-KQED-87f5a7b2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12109067\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/CDCRFolo_2-KQED-87f5a7b2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/CDCRFolo_2-KQED-87f5a7b2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/CDCRFolo_2-KQED-87f5a7b2-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Screenshot from the Office of the Inspector General Staff Misconduct Monitoring Report, January-June 2026. (Courtesy of Office of the Inspector General, State of California)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In December 2025, the inspector general warned that 705 cases were within 60 days of the deadline. Its next report, which came out in May, found the deadline had expired in 1,774 cases. Now that number has doubled again, with the latest report finding the statute of limitations had expired in 3,428 cases.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The harm is significant,” said Penny Godbold, an attorney with Rosen, Bien, Galvan & Grunfeld, which has a long-running class action lawsuit against the Department of Corrections called \u003cem>Armstrong v. Newsom,\u003c/em> on behalf of people in prison with disabilities\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Starnes said a decade ago this would have been unheard of. “If a case wasn’t investigated before the statute of limitations expired, you were the worst person in the world, and everybody across the state heard about it,” he said. “It just didn’t happen.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Armstrong case has been a key driver of the backlog, Starnes said, because it led to the redefinition of staff misconduct. The AIU must take every complaint at face value, in contrast to the Office of Internal Affairs, which has a “reasonable belief” standard that allows agents to quickly dismiss complaints that are contradicted by facts or other evidence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“So, if you just say something happened, we’re investigating it,” Starnes said of the AIU’s approach.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250721-PAROLESHOOTINGSUSPECT_00880_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12049051\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250721-PAROLESHOOTINGSUSPECT_00880_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250721-PAROLESHOOTINGSUSPECT_00880_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250721-PAROLESHOOTINGSUSPECT_00880_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The CDCR Division of Adult Parole Operations on 7717 Edgewater Drive in Oakland on July 21, 2025. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Godbold said the standard changed for a reason: credible complaints by incarcerated people were getting thrown out. “ It is true that the number of cases increased under the new system,” she said. “That was by design.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The inspector general recommended that CDCR use technology to better prioritize cases, and Starnes said that the AIU had started using artificial intelligence technology like Microsoft Co-Pilot to help review documents, transcribe interviews and write reports. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The inspector general credited the department with communicating about case backlogs and expired deadlines. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It also largely approved of how the department was using a new “special conditions closure process” to quickly close cases where audio or video footage “provides conclusive evidence that the alleged misconduct did not occur.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Godbold and Starnes both said that reviewing body-worn camera footage is the best way to triage cases and determine if an allegation is founded or not. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So far, Godbold said, just 10 of California’s 31 prisons have implemented body cameras.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>These are among the 3,500 complaints filed by incarcerated people that California prison officials failed to investigate in a timely manner, in the first six months of 2026, \u003ca href=\"https://www.oig.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/Staff-Misconduct-Monitoring-Report-January-%E2%80%93-June-2026.pdf\">according to a new report from the Office of the Inspector General\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/CDCRFolo-KQED-bbaf84bb.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12109068\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/CDCRFolo-KQED-bbaf84bb.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/CDCRFolo-KQED-bbaf84bb-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/CDCRFolo-KQED-bbaf84bb-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Screenshot from the Office of the Inspector General Staff Misconduct Monitoring Report, January-June 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Office of the Inspector General, State of California)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“CDCR takes staff misconduct allegations seriously, and timely, thorough investigations are essential to accountability and the safety of our institutions,” agency spokesperson Terri Hardy wrote in an email. She said the agency has created a four-tier prioritization system and increased staffing.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Former AIU chief David Starnes told KQED that when he took over the unit two years ago, CDCR’s executive leadership knew there was a flood of complaints, but undermined his efforts to triage cases and hire staff. When he retired last month, Starnes said the unit was completely overwhelmed by a backlog of cases. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp> The number of open cases topped 10,000 in June 2025, according to a report released by the inspector general last year. The latest findings show that number has nearly doubled to 19,000, with a single investigator averaging 135 open cases at a time. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp> The number of open cases topped 10,000 in June 2025, according to a report released by the inspector general last year. The latest findings show that number has nearly doubled to 19,000, with a single investigator averaging 135 open cases at a time. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In December 2025, the inspector general warned that 705 cases were within 60 days of the deadline. Its next report, which came out in May, found the deadline had expired in 1,774 cases. Now that number has doubled again, with the latest report finding the statute of limitations had expired in 3,428 cases.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The harm is significant,” said Penny Godbold, an attorney with Rosen, Bien, Galvan & Grunfeld, which has a long-running class action lawsuit against the Department of Corrections called \u003cem>Armstrong v. Newsom,\u003c/em> on behalf of people in prison with disabilities\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Starnes said a decade ago this would have been unheard of. “If a case wasn’t investigated before the statute of limitations expired, you were the worst person in the world, and everybody across the state heard about it,” he said. “It just didn’t happen.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Starnes said a decade ago this would have been unheard of. “If a case wasn’t investigated before the statute of limitations expired, you were the worst person in the world, and everybody across the state heard about it,” he said. “It just didn’t happen.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Armstrong case has been a key driver of the backlog, Starnes said, because it led to the redefinition of staff misconduct. The AIU must take every complaint at face value, in contrast to the Office of Internal Affairs, which has a “reasonable belief” standard that allows agents to quickly dismiss complaints that are contradicted by facts or other evidence.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Armstrong case has been a key driver of the backlog, Starnes said, because it led to the redefinition of staff misconduct. The AIU must take every complaint at face value, in contrast to the Office of Internal Affairs, which has a “reasonable belief” standard that allows agents to quickly dismiss complaints that are contradicted by facts or other evidence.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“So, if you just say something happened, we’re investigating it,” Starnes said of the AIU’s approach.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Godbold said the standard changed for a reason: credible complaints by incarcerated people were getting thrown out. “ It is true that the number of cases increased under the new system,” she said. “That was by design.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The inspector general recommended that CDCR use technology to better prioritize cases, and Starnes said that the AIU had started using artificial intelligence technology like Microsoft Co-Pilot to help review documents, transcribe interviews and write reports. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It also largely approved of how the department was using a new “special conditions closure process” to quickly close cases where audio or video footage “provides conclusive evidence that the alleged misconduct did not occur.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Godbold and Starnes both said that reviewing body-worn camera footage is the best way to triage cases and determine if an allegation is founded or not. \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The inspector general found the unit in charge of investigating prisoner complaints is plagued with delays, unmanageable caseloads and a skyrocketing backlog of grievances.",
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"title": "California Prison Officials Failed to Complete Thousands of Misconduct Investigations, Report Finds | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california-department-of-corrections-and-rehabilitation\">prisoner\u003c/a> said that officers attacked him, sending him to the hospital for five days. Another complained that an officer grabbed him by the hair and slammed his face into the concrete. An incarcerated woman alleged an officer refused to take her for a sexual assault examination.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These are among the 3,500 complaints filed by incarcerated people that California prison officials failed to investigate in a timely manner, in the first six months of 2026, \u003ca href=\"https://www.oig.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/Staff-Misconduct-Monitoring-Report-January-%E2%80%93-June-2026.pdf\">according to a new report from the Office of the Inspector General\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The semiannual report sent to the governor and state Legislature details how the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation handled internal investigations and officer discipline between January and July of this year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/CDCRFolo-KQED-bbaf84bb.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12109068\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/CDCRFolo-KQED-bbaf84bb.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/CDCRFolo-KQED-bbaf84bb-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/CDCRFolo-KQED-bbaf84bb-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Screenshot from the Office of the Inspector General Staff Misconduct Monitoring Report, January-June 2026. (Courtesy of Office of the Inspector General, State of California)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the report said that CDCR’s overall handling of misconduct “has improved,” it noted the performance of one division, the Allegation Investigation Unit, or AIU, has “declined dramatically.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The AIU was set up in 2022, as part of an effort by prison officials to more thoroughly and fairly address the thousands of complaints made by incarcerated people each year. But recent reports from the inspector general reveal an escalating crisis in the unit, driven by ballooning caseloads, delayed investigations and a growing backlog of complaints. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In contrast, the report found that CDCR’s traditional Office of Internal Affairs, which handles serious criminal allegations and complaints coming from other staff members, rather than prisoners, stayed largely consistent in its performance.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“CDCR takes staff misconduct allegations seriously, and timely, thorough investigations are essential to accountability and the safety of our institutions,” agency spokesperson Terri Hardy wrote in an email. She said the agency has created a four-tier prioritization system and increased staffing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Former AIU chief David Starnes told KQED that when he took over the unit two years ago, CDCR’s executive leadership knew there was a flood of complaints, but undermined his efforts to triage cases and hire staff. When he retired last month, Starnes said the unit was completely overwhelmed by a backlog of cases. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> The number of open cases topped 10,000 in June 2025, according to a report released by the inspector general last year. The latest findings show that number has nearly doubled to 19,000, with a single investigator averaging 135 open cases at a time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“ We had them as high as 200 cases at one point,” Starnes said, noting that those cases didn’t go away. “They’re still sitting in a queue and the department, quote-unquote, ‘is gonna work them someday.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under California’s peace officers’ bill of rights, if an agency doesn’t investigate a complaint within a year, it can’t discipline officers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/CDCRFolo_2-KQED-87f5a7b2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12109067\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/CDCRFolo_2-KQED-87f5a7b2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/CDCRFolo_2-KQED-87f5a7b2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/CDCRFolo_2-KQED-87f5a7b2-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Screenshot from the Office of the Inspector General Staff Misconduct Monitoring Report, January-June 2026. (Courtesy of Office of the Inspector General, State of California)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In December 2025, the inspector general warned that 705 cases were within 60 days of the deadline. Its next report, which came out in May, found the deadline had expired in 1,774 cases. Now that number has doubled again, with the latest report finding the statute of limitations had expired in 3,428 cases.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The harm is significant,” said Penny Godbold, an attorney with Rosen, Bien, Galvan & Grunfeld, which has a long-running class action lawsuit against the Department of Corrections called \u003cem>Armstrong v. Newsom,\u003c/em> on behalf of people in prison with disabilities\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Starnes said a decade ago this would have been unheard of. “If a case wasn’t investigated before the statute of limitations expired, you were the worst person in the world, and everybody across the state heard about it,” he said. “It just didn’t happen.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Armstrong case has been a key driver of the backlog, Starnes said, because it led to the redefinition of staff misconduct. The AIU must take every complaint at face value, in contrast to the Office of Internal Affairs, which has a “reasonable belief” standard that allows agents to quickly dismiss complaints that are contradicted by facts or other evidence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“So, if you just say something happened, we’re investigating it,” Starnes said of the AIU’s approach.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250721-PAROLESHOOTINGSUSPECT_00880_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12049051\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250721-PAROLESHOOTINGSUSPECT_00880_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250721-PAROLESHOOTINGSUSPECT_00880_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250721-PAROLESHOOTINGSUSPECT_00880_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The CDCR Division of Adult Parole Operations on 7717 Edgewater Drive in Oakland on July 21, 2025. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Godbold said the standard changed for a reason: credible complaints by incarcerated people were getting thrown out. “ It is true that the number of cases increased under the new system,” she said. “That was by design.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The inspector general recommended that CDCR use technology to better prioritize cases, and Starnes said that the AIU had started using artificial intelligence technology like Microsoft Co-Pilot to help review documents, transcribe interviews and write reports. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The inspector general credited the department with communicating about case backlogs and expired deadlines. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It also largely approved of how the department was using a new “special conditions closure process” to quickly close cases where audio or video footage “provides conclusive evidence that the alleged misconduct did not occur.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Godbold and Starnes both said that reviewing body-worn camera footage is the best way to triage cases and determine if an allegation is founded or not. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So far, Godbold said, just 10 of California’s 31 prisons have implemented body cameras.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "‘Seemingly Unprovoked’: Suspect Charged With Assault of East Bay Council Member",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/east-bay\">East Bay\u003c/a> woman has been charged with a felony count of battery in the assault of a City Council member, \u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/Rosario-Lopez-f13e0ba1.pdf\">documents\u003c/a> from the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office confirmed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The district attorney’s office is charging Fremont resident Rosario Lopez, 31, with battery causing serious bodily injury, alleging that she attacked Newark City Councilmember Eve Marie Little on Oct. 25.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/61563346905545/posts/the-last-12-days-have-been-some-of-the-most-traumatic-of-my-life-and-the-level-o/122216897432444896/\">social media post\u003c/a> on Thursday, Little said she was “viciously attacked by a complete stranger” while talking with others about upcoming park updates. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261106-NEWARKFILE-JY-06-KQED-efa71716.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108745\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261106-NEWARKFILE-JY-06-KQED-efa71716.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261106-NEWARKFILE-JY-06-KQED-efa71716-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261106-NEWARKFILE-JY-06-KQED-efa71716-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The city of Newark flag and the American flag blow in the wind outside of City Hall in Newark on Nov. 6, 2026. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The individual jumped me from behind while I was chatting with the group, causing me to crash to the ground,” Little wrote. “Then she proceeded to punch my face over and over again while I did everything I could to get her off.” Little did not return KQED’s requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a declaration about the arrest, Newark Ofc. Anthony Piquette said that video surveillance showed Little was attacked “seemingly unprovoked” from behind. The woman, later identified as Lopez, fled the scene and left the area in a car.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Little made a 911 call, Lt. Yama Homayoun told KQED that police were summoned to the scene. A witness followed Lopez’s car, Little said on social media. Using Flock Safety cameras, Piquette later found the car that was registered in Lopez’s name, and the department arrested Lopez on Oct. 29. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jeff Chorney, a spokesperson for the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office, which is representing Lopez, said people “shouldn’t jump to conclusions” because police arrested their client. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“When shown a photo lineup Ms. Little did not identify our client as the person who attacked her,” Chorney wrote. “Our client is a longtime member of our community and has never been in trouble in Alameda County and we look forward to fighting this case.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lopez was no longer in custody as of Friday, according to the county sheriff’s jail records.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chorney said there was “absolutely no indication” so far that the incident had anything to do with Little being a City Council member. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When a commenter on Little’s post asked what the motive behind the attack could be, Little responded that she’s “not 100% sure but it looks like the girlfriend was jealous that I was talking to her boyfriend along with the 13 other guys about Park improvements.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lopez is due in court on Nov. 19. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>KQED’s\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/alina\">\u003cem>Alina Ta\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>An \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/east-bay\">East Bay\u003c/a> woman has been charged with a felony count of battery in the assault of a City Council member, \u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/Rosario-Lopez-f13e0ba1.pdf\">documents\u003c/a> from the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office confirmed. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The district attorney’s office is charging Fremont resident Rosario Lopez, 31, with battery causing serious bodily injury, alleging that she attacked Newark City Councilmember Eve Marie Little on Oct. 25.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/61563346905545/posts/the-last-12-days-have-been-some-of-the-most-traumatic-of-my-life-and-the-level-o/122216897432444896/\">social media post\u003c/a> on Thursday, Little said she was “viciously attacked by a complete stranger” while talking with others about upcoming park updates. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/61563346905545/posts/the-last-12-days-have-been-some-of-the-most-traumatic-of-my-life-and-the-level-o/122216897432444896/\">social media post\u003c/a> on Thursday, Little said she was “viciously attacked by a complete stranger” while talking with others about upcoming park updates. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The individual jumped me from behind while I was chatting with the group, causing me to crash to the ground,” Little wrote. “Then she proceeded to punch my face over and over again while I did everything I could to get her off.” Little did not return KQED’s requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a declaration about the arrest, Newark Ofc. Anthony Piquette said that video surveillance showed Little was attacked “seemingly unprovoked” from behind. The woman, later identified as Lopez, fled the scene and left the area in a car.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a declaration about the arrest, Newark Ofc. Anthony Piquette said that video surveillance showed Little was attacked “seemingly unprovoked” from behind. The woman, later identified as Lopez, fled the scene and left the area in a car.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After Little made a 911 call, Lt. Yama Homayoun told KQED that police were summoned to the scene. A witness followed Lopez’s car, Little said on social media. Using Flock Safety cameras, Piquette later found the car that was registered in Lopez’s name, and the department arrested Lopez on Oct. 29. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After Little made a 911 call, Lt. Yama Homayoun told KQED that police were summoned to the scene. A witness followed Lopez’s car, Little said on social media. Using Flock Safety cameras, Piquette later found the car that was registered in Lopez’s name, and the department arrested Lopez on Oct. 29. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jeff Chorney, a spokesperson for the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office, which is representing Lopez, said people “shouldn’t jump to conclusions” because police arrested their client. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When shown a photo lineup Ms. Little did not identify our client as the person who attacked her,” Chorney wrote. “Our client is a longtime member of our community and has never been in trouble in Alameda County and we look forward to fighting this case.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chorney said there was “absolutely no indication” so far that the incident had anything to do with Little being a City Council member. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When a commenter on Little’s post asked what the motive behind the attack could be, Little responded that she’s “not 100% sure but it looks like the girlfriend was jealous that I was talking to her boyfriend along with the 13 other guys about Park improvements.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lopez is due in court on Nov. 19. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/alina\">\u003cem>Alina Ta\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The Alameda County District Attorney is charging a Fremont woman in the alleged assault that occurred on Oct. 25.\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/east-bay\">East Bay\u003c/a> woman has been charged with a felony count of battery in the assault of a City Council member, \u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/Rosario-Lopez-f13e0ba1.pdf\">documents\u003c/a> from the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office confirmed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The district attorney’s office is charging Fremont resident Rosario Lopez, 31, with battery causing serious bodily injury, alleging that she attacked Newark City Councilmember Eve Marie Little on Oct. 25.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/61563346905545/posts/the-last-12-days-have-been-some-of-the-most-traumatic-of-my-life-and-the-level-o/122216897432444896/\">social media post\u003c/a> on Thursday, Little said she was “viciously attacked by a complete stranger” while talking with others about upcoming park updates. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261106-NEWARKFILE-JY-06-KQED-efa71716.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108745\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261106-NEWARKFILE-JY-06-KQED-efa71716.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261106-NEWARKFILE-JY-06-KQED-efa71716-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261106-NEWARKFILE-JY-06-KQED-efa71716-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The city of Newark flag and the American flag blow in the wind outside of City Hall in Newark on Nov. 6, 2026. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The individual jumped me from behind while I was chatting with the group, causing me to crash to the ground,” Little wrote. “Then she proceeded to punch my face over and over again while I did everything I could to get her off.” Little did not return KQED’s requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a declaration about the arrest, Newark Ofc. Anthony Piquette said that video surveillance showed Little was attacked “seemingly unprovoked” from behind. The woman, later identified as Lopez, fled the scene and left the area in a car.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Little made a 911 call, Lt. Yama Homayoun told KQED that police were summoned to the scene. A witness followed Lopez’s car, Little said on social media. Using Flock Safety cameras, Piquette later found the car that was registered in Lopez’s name, and the department arrested Lopez on Oct. 29. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jeff Chorney, a spokesperson for the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office, which is representing Lopez, said people “shouldn’t jump to conclusions” because police arrested their client. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“When shown a photo lineup Ms. Little did not identify our client as the person who attacked her,” Chorney wrote. “Our client is a longtime member of our community and has never been in trouble in Alameda County and we look forward to fighting this case.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lopez was no longer in custody as of Friday, according to the county sheriff’s jail records.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chorney said there was “absolutely no indication” so far that the incident had anything to do with Little being a City Council member. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When a commenter on Little’s post asked what the motive behind the attack could be, Little responded that she’s “not 100% sure but it looks like the girlfriend was jealous that I was talking to her boyfriend along with the 13 other guys about Park improvements.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lopez is due in court on Nov. 19. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>KQED’s\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/alina\">\u003cem>Alina Ta\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The star witness in Sheng Thao’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/shengthaotrial\">Oakland corruption trial\u003c/a> continued delivering explosive testimony on Thursday, recounting the violent falling out that led him to report defendants in the trial to Oakland police, and detailing an additional bribe defendants paid to a former East Bay politician.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mario Juarez, an Oakland businessman and political operative, who has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged pay-to-play scheme to bribe the ex-mayor, agreed to testify on behalf of the government in hopes of a lighter sentence. Defense attorneys have described him in opening statements as a “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104365/politics-as-profit-or-pure-fiction-bribery-trial-of-ex-oakland-mayor-kicks-off\">consummate hustler\u003c/a>” with a tendency to tell “half truths” and have repeatedly \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">called into question\u003c/a> his credibility as a witness. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Juarez’s testimony on Thursday focused largely on former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo and allegations that the politician engaged in inappropriate conduct during a 2023 trade delegation with Thao, recycling executive David Duong, his son, Andy Duong and others, the jury also got a glimpse of how defense attorneys will use their cross-examination to further poke holes in his credibility. He’ll return to the stand on Friday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030_ThaoTrialJuarez_Sketch_4-4e41b570.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107638\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030_ThaoTrialJuarez_Sketch_4-4e41b570.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030_ThaoTrialJuarez_Sketch_4-4e41b570-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030_ThaoTrialJuarez_Sketch_4-4e41b570-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030_ThaoTrialJuarez_Sketch_4-4e41b570-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mario Juarez testifies at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last week, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12107377/consummate-hustler-controversial-government-witness-set-to-testify-in-thao-trial\">Juarez told the jury\u003c/a> that he engaged in an alleged quid pro quo with Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones and David and Andy Duong, before and during Thao’s mayoral administration from 2022 to 2024. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He testified that he and the Duongs agreed to provide financial support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral run and give Jones a $300,000 no-show job at their housing start-up, Evolutionary Homes, which sought to convert shipping containers into homes for people exiting homelessness. In return, prosecutors say Thao allegedly agreed to help elevate city staffers to director-level positions in Oakland City Hall at the Duongs’ and Juarez’s request, help them win a city contract for Evolutionary Homes and aid the Duongs’ other business, California Waste Solutions, with various deals before the city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The four co-defendants are facing conspiracy, bribery and fraud charges for the alleged deal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘He had him in his pocket’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During his second day of direct testimony, prosecutor Abraham Fine questioned Juarez about his and the Duongs’ relationship with Azevedo, who pleaded guilty in February to participating in a related bribery scheme with the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez testified that in December 2023, months after the Duongs returned from a summer trade delegation to Vietnam, which Thao and Azevedo also attended, David Duong brought Juarez into a meeting at the California Waste Services offices. Juarez said David Duong told him a reporter had asked Thao “salacious questions” about activities Azevedo engaged in while on that trip. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Earlier in the trial, Thao’s former chief of staff said specifically that the journalist asked about potential sex trafficking of minors. On Thursday, Fine made no mention of the ages of the sex workers in question but asked Juarez if the allegations involved “interactions with prostitutes.” Juarez said, “Yes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-08-BL-KQED-6bf76925.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107523\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-08-BL-KQED-6bf76925.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-08-BL-KQED-6bf76925-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-08-BL-KQED-6bf76925-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Supporters of the Duong family stand outside the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The mayor had told [David Duong]… that if this story came out, she would not be able to f— with us, she would not be able to work with us,” Juarez said. “For the first time I saw a very worried David Duong.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said David Duong “asked me to find a solution.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said he and David Duong first tried, unsuccessfully, to pay off the journalist, Steve Tavares, who writes a Substack newsletter called \u003cem>East Bay Insiders\u003c/em> \u003cem>Newsletter\u003c/em>, Juarez told the court. Then, he said, they decided to try to “influence someone close” to Tavares — his then-podcast co-host Shawn Wilson, who is now chief of staff to Alameda County Supervisor David Haubert — to kill the story. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a text message exchange, Juarez wrote to Wilson, “I have easy ask but big $,” to which Wilson responded, “Lol your asks are never easy.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“When’s your next podcast with Steve? Can I be invited?” Juarez asked before sending another text offering Wilson $10,000. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez testified that after their text exchange, the two spoke on the phone. About forty minutes later, Wilson texted him: “No story, all good.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Days later, Juarez said he, David and Andy Duong and Azevedo traveled to Livermore to deliver Wilson a check for $10,000 from California Waste Solutions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fine asked Juarez why Azevedo was invited to the meeting.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said Andy Duong “wanted to make sure he knew the magnitude of what was happening and what we were doing for him.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A few weeks later, in early 2024, Juarez and Andy Duong approached Azevedo, offering him kickbacks if San Leandro bought housing units from Evolutionary Homes. At the time, prosecutors have alleged, Thao was pushing them to pursue contracts with other smaller cities and government entities, so Oakland wouldn’t be the first to do so. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said that they proposed the deal to Azevedo because Andy Duong “had him in his pocket.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Azevedo is expected to testify later in the trial. He has admitted to accepting a $2,000 bribe from the Duongs through a company and bank account set up under his wife’s name in exchange for “actions to benefit” Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The messy end of Evolutionary Homes\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez also gave insight into his explosive clash with the Duongs, which led to his first interview with the FBI just a month later. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said in the spring of 2024, his relationship with the Duongs had been fraying for months.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite the deal they allegedly struck with Thao and Jones more than a year prior, the city of Oakland still had not signed a contract to purchase housing units from the company, and Evolutionary Homes did not have units ready for market. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home unit for people who are exiting homelessness. (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That year, Andy Duong alleged Juarez had promised to deliver 50 Evolutionary Homes container units, but had produced just two. He told an inspector in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office that he and his father had invested $800,000 in a business venture with Juarez and were victims of what Andy Duong said was a theft of their investment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez testified Thursday that the Duongs had invested $750,000 that was used to set up the manufacturing plant in Mexico, pay employees and purchase materials. About $200,000 of the money, he said, he kept for living expenses since he had to relocate to Tijuana. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez testified he asked the Duongs to dissolve their partnership after feeling “tired” and “fed up” from months of having to fire employees in Mexico, not making sales, and not being reimbursed for money he said he put into the company. Juarez also said that around that time, he found out that the Duongs planned to move the manufacturing facility from Mexico to Vietnam. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I was being choked, I felt. I was very upset,” Juarez said. “They were leaving me out of the company.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-11-BL-KQED-d401af19.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107524\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-11-BL-KQED-d401af19.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-11-BL-KQED-d401af19-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-11-BL-KQED-d401af19-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong, son of California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026, followed by supporters. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an April 2023 email chain with Juarez and multiple members of the Duong family, Andy Duong requested a “final meeting” with Juarez. He said that if Juarez didn’t agree to meet, the family might pursue legal action against him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After a series of increasingly testy emails, Juarez sent a final message to the group on April 24, 2023, threatening to expose the Duongs’ deal with Thao, “sexual services paid by your [the Duong] family” and other evidence he had of wrongdoing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was after these email exchanges that their relationship reached a final breaking point, with an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12105728/i-know-what-they-do-911-calls-were-key-turning-point-in-oakland-corruption-investigation\">altercation that turned violent\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘I was hurting’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At that point, Fine told the jury during his opening statement, “It got messy, and then it got really messy.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On May 3, 2024, Juarez arrived at the Evolutionary Homes’ office to find that he was locked out. In an audio recording that Andy Duong captured of part of the confrontation, played for the jury on Thursday, David Duong could be heard saying, “We want our $800,000 back.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the tape, Juarez said he needs to get inside the office, and multiple voices respond, offering to bring out his things. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-01-BL-KQED-1fd45511.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107521\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-01-BL-KQED-1fd45511.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-01-BL-KQED-1fd45511-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-01-BL-KQED-1fd45511-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026, followed by supporters. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The “business is gone,” David Duong could be heard saying.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez alleged that after the recording ended, Andy Duong called his brother Johnny on the phone. Shortly after, he said, he was assaulted by 10 people in the parking lot in front of the California Waste Solutions’ offices. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They were hitting me in the ribs, kicking me in the balls,” he said, appearing to tear up on the stand. “It was hurting, but I knew I needed to stand up because I knew if I stayed down I was probably not going to stay around.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later that day, Juarez called 911 to report the alleged assault. He told the dispatcher the Duongs were involved in “racketeering and organized crime.” \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12105728/i-know-what-they-do-911-calls-were-key-turning-point-in-oakland-corruption-investigation\">Asked previously\u003c/a> about those allegations, attorneys for the company and the Duongs did not respond to KQED’s request for comment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to Fine, that was the first time Juarez had talked to law enforcement about the family.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the time, the FBI had already launched an investigation into a possible bribery scheme involving Juarez and the co-defendants, FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay testified earlier in the trial. She told the court that when the agency heard of Juarez’s allegations, they approached him for an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Juarez’s ‘rebranding’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Throughout the trial and during the start of cross-examination on Thursday, defense attorneys have painted Juarez as vengeful and alleged he has falsely accused former business partners of wrongdoing when their ventures go south. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They suggested in the spring of 2024, Juarez did the same to the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“[It was] only when [Juarez] realized he was losing that he manufactured his latest rebranding: to headline this trial as the prosecution’s star witness,” Andy Duong’s defense attorney Winston Chan said in his opening statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the final moments of the day’s proceedings, Ed Swanson, a defense attorney for David Duong, began what’s sure to be a fiery cross-examination trying to prove that theory. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He asked Juarez if when he went to Oakland police in May 2023, he “wanted the FBI involved?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I wanted the FBI and I wanted everybody involved in this investigation,” Juarez said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Swanson also asked Juarez if he admitted to being a knowing participant in the scheme when he first revealed details to law enforcement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“You told the jury: ‘I confessed it all,’ Swanson said before pointing out a seeming discrepancy in this testimony. “You were not going to admit, ‘I was helping someone commit a crime,’ isn’t that right?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said he didn’t remember saying that.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mario Juarez, an Oakland businessman and political operative, who has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged pay-to-play scheme to bribe the ex-mayor, agreed to testify on behalf of the government in hopes of a lighter sentence. Defense attorneys have described him in opening statements as a “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104365/politics-as-profit-or-pure-fiction-bribery-trial-of-ex-oakland-mayor-kicks-off\">consummate hustler\u003c/a>” with a tendency to tell “half truths” and have repeatedly \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">called into question\u003c/a> his credibility as a witness. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mario Juarez, an Oakland businessman and political operative, who has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged pay-to-play scheme to bribe the ex-mayor, agreed to testify on behalf of the government in hopes of a lighter sentence. Defense attorneys have described him in opening statements as a “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104365/politics-as-profit-or-pure-fiction-bribery-trial-of-ex-oakland-mayor-kicks-off\">consummate hustler\u003c/a>” with a tendency to tell “half truths” and have repeatedly \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">called into question\u003c/a> his credibility as a witness. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While Juarez’s testimony on Thursday focused largely on former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo and allegations that the politician engaged in inappropriate conduct during a 2023 trade delegation with Thao, recycling executive David Duong, his son, Andy Duong and others, the jury also got a glimpse of how defense attorneys will use their cross-examination to further poke holes in his credibility. He’ll return to the stand on Friday. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While Juarez’s testimony on Thursday focused largely on former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo and allegations that the politician engaged in inappropriate conduct during a 2023 trade delegation with Thao, recycling executive David Duong, his son, Andy Duong and others, the jury also got a glimpse of how defense attorneys will use their cross-examination to further poke holes in his credibility. He’ll return to the stand on Friday. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last week, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12107377/consummate-hustler-controversial-government-witness-set-to-testify-in-thao-trial\">Juarez told the jury\u003c/a> that he engaged in an alleged quid pro quo with Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones and David and Andy Duong, before and during Thao’s mayoral administration from 2022 to 2024. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He testified that he and the Duongs agreed to provide financial support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral run and give Jones a $300,000 no-show job at their housing start-up, Evolutionary Homes, which sought to convert shipping containers into homes for people exiting homelessness. In return, prosecutors say Thao allegedly agreed to help elevate city staffers to director-level positions in Oakland City Hall at the Duongs’ and Juarez’s request, help them win a city contract for Evolutionary Homes and aid the Duongs’ other business, California Waste Solutions, with various deals before the city.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During his second day of direct testimony, prosecutor Abraham Fine questioned Juarez about his and the Duongs’ relationship with Azevedo, who pleaded guilty in February to participating in a related bribery scheme with the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez testified that in December 2023, months after the Duongs returned from a summer trade delegation to Vietnam, which Thao and Azevedo also attended, David Duong brought Juarez into a meeting at the California Waste Services offices. Juarez said David Duong told him a reporter had asked Thao “salacious questions” about activities Azevedo engaged in while on that trip. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The mayor had told [David Duong]… that if this story came out, she would not be able to f— with us, she would not be able to work with us,” Juarez said. “For the first time I saw a very worried David Duong.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He said he and David Duong first tried, unsuccessfully, to pay off the journalist, Steve Tavares, who writes a Substack newsletter called \u003cem>East Bay Insiders\u003c/em> \u003cem>Newsletter\u003c/em>, Juarez told the court. Then, he said, they decided to try to “influence someone close” to Tavares — his then-podcast co-host Shawn Wilson, who is now chief of staff to Alameda County Supervisor David Haubert — to kill the story. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When’s your next podcast with Steve? Can I be invited?” Juarez asked before sending another text offering Wilson $10,000. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Days later, Juarez said he, David and Andy Duong and Azevedo traveled to Livermore to deliver Wilson a check for $10,000 from California Waste Solutions. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez said Andy Duong “wanted to make sure he knew the magnitude of what was happening and what we were doing for him.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A few weeks later, in early 2024, Juarez and Andy Duong approached Azevedo, offering him kickbacks if San Leandro bought housing units from Evolutionary Homes. At the time, prosecutors have alleged, Thao was pushing them to pursue contracts with other smaller cities and government entities, so Oakland wouldn’t be the first to do so. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Azevedo is expected to testify later in the trial. He has admitted to accepting a $2,000 bribe from the Duongs through a company and bank account set up under his wife’s name in exchange for “actions to benefit” Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez also gave insight into his explosive clash with the Duongs, which led to his first interview with the FBI just a month later. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Despite the deal they allegedly struck with Thao and Jones more than a year prior, the city of Oakland still had not signed a contract to purchase housing units from the company, and Evolutionary Homes did not have units ready for market. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Despite the deal they allegedly struck with Thao and Jones more than a year prior, the city of Oakland still had not signed a contract to purchase housing units from the company, and Evolutionary Homes did not have units ready for market. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That year, Andy Duong alleged Juarez had promised to deliver 50 Evolutionary Homes container units, but had produced just two. He told an inspector in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office that he and his father had invested $800,000 in a business venture with Juarez and were victims of what Andy Duong said was a theft of their investment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez testified Thursday that the Duongs had invested $750,000 that was used to set up the manufacturing plant in Mexico, pay employees and purchase materials. About $200,000 of the money, he said, he kept for living expenses since he had to relocate to Tijuana. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez testified he asked the Duongs to dissolve their partnership after feeling “tired” and “fed up” from months of having to fire employees in Mexico, not making sales, and not being reimbursed for money he said he put into the company. Juarez also said that around that time, he found out that the Duongs planned to move the manufacturing facility from Mexico to Vietnam. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I was being choked, I felt. I was very upset,” Juarez said. “They were leaving me out of the company.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-11-BL-KQED-d401af19.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107524\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-11-BL-KQED-d401af19.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-11-BL-KQED-d401af19-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-11-BL-KQED-d401af19-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong, son of California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026, followed by supporters.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an April 2023 email chain with Juarez and multiple members of the Duong family, Andy Duong requested a “final meeting” with Juarez. He said that if Juarez didn’t agree to meet, the family might pursue legal action against him. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At that point, Fine told the jury during his opening statement, “It got messy, and then it got really messy.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On May 3, 2024, Juarez arrived at the Evolutionary Homes’ office to find that he was locked out. In an audio recording that Andy Duong captured of part of the confrontation, played for the jury on Thursday, David Duong could be heard saying, “We want our $800,000 back.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-01-BL-KQED-1fd45511.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107521\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-01-BL-KQED-1fd45511.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-01-BL-KQED-1fd45511-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-01-BL-KQED-1fd45511-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026, followed by supporters.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-01-BL-KQED-1fd45511.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107521\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026, followed by supporters.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The “business is gone,” David Duong could be heard saying.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez alleged that after the recording ended, Andy Duong called his brother Johnny on the phone. Shortly after, he said, he was assaulted by 10 people in the parking lot in front of the California Waste Solutions’ offices. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Juarez alleged that after the recording ended, Andy Duong called his brother Johnny on the phone. Shortly after, he said, he was assaulted by 10 people in the parking lot in front of the California Waste Solutions’ offices. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They were hitting me in the ribs, kicking me in the balls,” he said, appearing to tear up on the stand. “It was hurting, but I knew I needed to stand up because I knew if I stayed down I was probably not going to stay around.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“They were hitting me in the ribs, kicking me in the balls,” he said, appearing to tear up on the stand. “It was hurting, but I knew I needed to stand up because I knew if I stayed down I was probably not going to stay around.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Later that day, Juarez called 911 to report the alleged assault. He told the dispatcher the Duongs were involved in “racketeering and organized crime.” \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12105728/i-know-what-they-do-911-calls-were-key-turning-point-in-oakland-corruption-investigation\">Asked previously\u003c/a> about those allegations, attorneys for the company and the Duongs did not respond to KQED’s request for comment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Later that day, Juarez called 911 to report the alleged assault. He told the dispatcher the Duongs were involved in “racketeering and organized crime.” \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12105728/i-know-what-they-do-911-calls-were-key-turning-point-in-oakland-corruption-investigation\">Asked previously\u003c/a> about those allegations, attorneys for the company and the Duongs did not respond to KQED’s request for comment. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to Fine, that was the first time Juarez had talked to law enforcement about the family.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Throughout the trial and during the start of cross-examination on Thursday, defense attorneys have painted Juarez as vengeful and alleged he has falsely accused former business partners of wrongdoing when their ventures go south. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[It was] only when [Juarez] realized he was losing that he manufactured his latest rebranding: to headline this trial as the prosecution’s star witness,” Andy Duong’s defense attorney Winston Chan said in his opening statement. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Swanson also asked Juarez if he admitted to being a knowing participant in the scheme when he first revealed details to law enforcement. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You told the jury: ‘I confessed it all,’ Swanson said before pointing out a seeming discrepancy in this testimony. “You were not going to admit, ‘I was helping someone commit a crime,’ isn’t that right?” \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Businessman Mario Juarez continued delivering explosive testimony Thursday against major players in the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The star witness in Sheng Thao’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/shengthaotrial\">Oakland corruption trial\u003c/a> continued delivering explosive testimony on Thursday, recounting the violent falling out that led him to report defendants in the trial to Oakland police, and detailing an additional bribe defendants paid to a former East Bay politician.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mario Juarez, an Oakland businessman and political operative, who has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged pay-to-play scheme to bribe the ex-mayor, agreed to testify on behalf of the government in hopes of a lighter sentence. Defense attorneys have described him in opening statements as a “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104365/politics-as-profit-or-pure-fiction-bribery-trial-of-ex-oakland-mayor-kicks-off\">consummate hustler\u003c/a>” with a tendency to tell “half truths” and have repeatedly \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">called into question\u003c/a> his credibility as a witness. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Juarez’s testimony on Thursday focused largely on former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo and allegations that the politician engaged in inappropriate conduct during a 2023 trade delegation with Thao, recycling executive David Duong, his son, Andy Duong and others, the jury also got a glimpse of how defense attorneys will use their cross-examination to further poke holes in his credibility. He’ll return to the stand on Friday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030_ThaoTrialJuarez_Sketch_4-4e41b570.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107638\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030_ThaoTrialJuarez_Sketch_4-4e41b570.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030_ThaoTrialJuarez_Sketch_4-4e41b570-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030_ThaoTrialJuarez_Sketch_4-4e41b570-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030_ThaoTrialJuarez_Sketch_4-4e41b570-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mario Juarez testifies at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last week, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12107377/consummate-hustler-controversial-government-witness-set-to-testify-in-thao-trial\">Juarez told the jury\u003c/a> that he engaged in an alleged quid pro quo with Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones and David and Andy Duong, before and during Thao’s mayoral administration from 2022 to 2024. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He testified that he and the Duongs agreed to provide financial support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral run and give Jones a $300,000 no-show job at their housing start-up, Evolutionary Homes, which sought to convert shipping containers into homes for people exiting homelessness. In return, prosecutors say Thao allegedly agreed to help elevate city staffers to director-level positions in Oakland City Hall at the Duongs’ and Juarez’s request, help them win a city contract for Evolutionary Homes and aid the Duongs’ other business, California Waste Solutions, with various deals before the city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The four co-defendants are facing conspiracy, bribery and fraud charges for the alleged deal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘He had him in his pocket’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During his second day of direct testimony, prosecutor Abraham Fine questioned Juarez about his and the Duongs’ relationship with Azevedo, who pleaded guilty in February to participating in a related bribery scheme with the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez testified that in December 2023, months after the Duongs returned from a summer trade delegation to Vietnam, which Thao and Azevedo also attended, David Duong brought Juarez into a meeting at the California Waste Services offices. Juarez said David Duong told him a reporter had asked Thao “salacious questions” about activities Azevedo engaged in while on that trip. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Earlier in the trial, Thao’s former chief of staff said specifically that the journalist asked about potential sex trafficking of minors. On Thursday, Fine made no mention of the ages of the sex workers in question but asked Juarez if the allegations involved “interactions with prostitutes.” Juarez said, “Yes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-08-BL-KQED-6bf76925.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107523\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-08-BL-KQED-6bf76925.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-08-BL-KQED-6bf76925-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-08-BL-KQED-6bf76925-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Supporters of the Duong family stand outside the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The mayor had told [David Duong]… that if this story came out, she would not be able to f— with us, she would not be able to work with us,” Juarez said. “For the first time I saw a very worried David Duong.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said David Duong “asked me to find a solution.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said he and David Duong first tried, unsuccessfully, to pay off the journalist, Steve Tavares, who writes a Substack newsletter called \u003cem>East Bay Insiders\u003c/em> \u003cem>Newsletter\u003c/em>, Juarez told the court. Then, he said, they decided to try to “influence someone close” to Tavares — his then-podcast co-host Shawn Wilson, who is now chief of staff to Alameda County Supervisor David Haubert — to kill the story. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a text message exchange, Juarez wrote to Wilson, “I have easy ask but big $,” to which Wilson responded, “Lol your asks are never easy.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“When’s your next podcast with Steve? Can I be invited?” Juarez asked before sending another text offering Wilson $10,000. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez testified that after their text exchange, the two spoke on the phone. About forty minutes later, Wilson texted him: “No story, all good.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Days later, Juarez said he, David and Andy Duong and Azevedo traveled to Livermore to deliver Wilson a check for $10,000 from California Waste Solutions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fine asked Juarez why Azevedo was invited to the meeting.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said Andy Duong “wanted to make sure he knew the magnitude of what was happening and what we were doing for him.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A few weeks later, in early 2024, Juarez and Andy Duong approached Azevedo, offering him kickbacks if San Leandro bought housing units from Evolutionary Homes. At the time, prosecutors have alleged, Thao was pushing them to pursue contracts with other smaller cities and government entities, so Oakland wouldn’t be the first to do so. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said that they proposed the deal to Azevedo because Andy Duong “had him in his pocket.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Azevedo is expected to testify later in the trial. He has admitted to accepting a $2,000 bribe from the Duongs through a company and bank account set up under his wife’s name in exchange for “actions to benefit” Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The messy end of Evolutionary Homes\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez also gave insight into his explosive clash with the Duongs, which led to his first interview with the FBI just a month later. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said in the spring of 2024, his relationship with the Duongs had been fraying for months.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite the deal they allegedly struck with Thao and Jones more than a year prior, the city of Oakland still had not signed a contract to purchase housing units from the company, and Evolutionary Homes did not have units ready for market. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home unit for people who are exiting homelessness. (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That year, Andy Duong alleged Juarez had promised to deliver 50 Evolutionary Homes container units, but had produced just two. He told an inspector in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office that he and his father had invested $800,000 in a business venture with Juarez and were victims of what Andy Duong said was a theft of their investment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez testified Thursday that the Duongs had invested $750,000 that was used to set up the manufacturing plant in Mexico, pay employees and purchase materials. About $200,000 of the money, he said, he kept for living expenses since he had to relocate to Tijuana. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez testified he asked the Duongs to dissolve their partnership after feeling “tired” and “fed up” from months of having to fire employees in Mexico, not making sales, and not being reimbursed for money he said he put into the company. Juarez also said that around that time, he found out that the Duongs planned to move the manufacturing facility from Mexico to Vietnam. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I was being choked, I felt. I was very upset,” Juarez said. “They were leaving me out of the company.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-11-BL-KQED-d401af19.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107524\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-11-BL-KQED-d401af19.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-11-BL-KQED-d401af19-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-11-BL-KQED-d401af19-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong, son of California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026, followed by supporters. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an April 2023 email chain with Juarez and multiple members of the Duong family, Andy Duong requested a “final meeting” with Juarez. He said that if Juarez didn’t agree to meet, the family might pursue legal action against him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After a series of increasingly testy emails, Juarez sent a final message to the group on April 24, 2023, threatening to expose the Duongs’ deal with Thao, “sexual services paid by your [the Duong] family” and other evidence he had of wrongdoing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was after these email exchanges that their relationship reached a final breaking point, with an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12105728/i-know-what-they-do-911-calls-were-key-turning-point-in-oakland-corruption-investigation\">altercation that turned violent\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘I was hurting’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At that point, Fine told the jury during his opening statement, “It got messy, and then it got really messy.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On May 3, 2024, Juarez arrived at the Evolutionary Homes’ office to find that he was locked out. In an audio recording that Andy Duong captured of part of the confrontation, played for the jury on Thursday, David Duong could be heard saying, “We want our $800,000 back.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the tape, Juarez said he needs to get inside the office, and multiple voices respond, offering to bring out his things. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-01-BL-KQED-1fd45511.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107521\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-01-BL-KQED-1fd45511.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-01-BL-KQED-1fd45511-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-01-BL-KQED-1fd45511-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026, followed by supporters. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The “business is gone,” David Duong could be heard saying.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez alleged that after the recording ended, Andy Duong called his brother Johnny on the phone. Shortly after, he said, he was assaulted by 10 people in the parking lot in front of the California Waste Solutions’ offices. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They were hitting me in the ribs, kicking me in the balls,” he said, appearing to tear up on the stand. “It was hurting, but I knew I needed to stand up because I knew if I stayed down I was probably not going to stay around.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later that day, Juarez called 911 to report the alleged assault. He told the dispatcher the Duongs were involved in “racketeering and organized crime.” \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12105728/i-know-what-they-do-911-calls-were-key-turning-point-in-oakland-corruption-investigation\">Asked previously\u003c/a> about those allegations, attorneys for the company and the Duongs did not respond to KQED’s request for comment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to Fine, that was the first time Juarez had talked to law enforcement about the family.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the time, the FBI had already launched an investigation into a possible bribery scheme involving Juarez and the co-defendants, FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay testified earlier in the trial. She told the court that when the agency heard of Juarez’s allegations, they approached him for an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Juarez’s ‘rebranding’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Throughout the trial and during the start of cross-examination on Thursday, defense attorneys have painted Juarez as vengeful and alleged he has falsely accused former business partners of wrongdoing when their ventures go south. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They suggested in the spring of 2024, Juarez did the same to the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“[It was] only when [Juarez] realized he was losing that he manufactured his latest rebranding: to headline this trial as the prosecution’s star witness,” Andy Duong’s defense attorney Winston Chan said in his opening statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the final moments of the day’s proceedings, Ed Swanson, a defense attorney for David Duong, began what’s sure to be a fiery cross-examination trying to prove that theory. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He asked Juarez if when he went to Oakland police in May 2023, he “wanted the FBI involved?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I wanted the FBI and I wanted everybody involved in this investigation,” Juarez said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Swanson also asked Juarez if he admitted to being a knowing participant in the scheme when he first revealed details to law enforcement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“You told the jury: ‘I confessed it all,’ Swanson said before pointing out a seeming discrepancy in this testimony. “You were not going to admit, ‘I was helping someone commit a crime,’ isn’t that right?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said he didn’t remember saying that.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "fairfield-police-arrest-17-year-old-suspected-of-mass-shooting-at-halloween-store",
"title": "Fairfield Police Arrest 17-Year-Old Suspected of Mass Shooting at Halloween Store",
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"headTitle": "Fairfield Police Arrest 17-Year-Old Suspected of Mass Shooting at Halloween Store | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fairfield police arrested a 17-year-old on Monday who is suspected of opening fire at a Halloween store, killing a pregnant woman and wounding six other people.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The police would not name the suspect because he is a minor, but said the teen boy was identified by a school resource officer within hours of the attack and arrested at a home in Suisun City.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At a press conference following the arrest, police information officer Michelle Belyea said the suspect entered the Spirit Halloween store at the Solano Town Center in Fairfield at approximately 8:30 Friday night. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The suspect then produced a firearm and fired multiple rounds at the victim,” Belyea said. “The gunfire struck the victim, as well as six other individuals inside of the store.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The pregnant woman, identified as Constance Hages, 31, died at the scene. Fairfield Police Chief Dan Marshall declined to say whether Hages was the intended target.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">911 began receiving calls about the attack at 8:31 pm, according to police logs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Belyea said the suspect fled the scene a few minutes later, just as officers arrived.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A school resource officer who reviewed security camera footage from the store recognized the suspect as a former student who’d been convicted of shooting at an occupied car in the parking lot of Fairfield High School on September 16, 2025.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This event shouldn’t have even occurred,” said Marshall. “California has gotten extremely soft on accountability with youth.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marshall said the suspect served a few months in juvenile hall for his 2025 conviction and was released.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Apparently he was rehabilitated,” Marshall said, “and he’s back out to commit this horrendous crime.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marshall said Friday’s mass shooting, on the heels of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087191/fairfield-community-mourns-after-deadly-grad-shooting\">deadly shooting\u003c/a> at a Fairfield high school graduation earlier this year that killed Jamario Baker, 18, and wounded three others, showed that something needs to change.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of the six victims who survived Friday’s attack, four were still hospitalized and receiving treatment, police said. A 19-year-old male remained in critical condition, while a 16-year-old male, 23-year-old male, and 32-year-old male were in stable condition.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Solano County district attorney filed charges against the minor Tuesday, including two counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, and three counts of assault with a semi-automatic weapon. The DA also filed a petition to move the case from juvenile court to try the minor as an adult. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The suspect, whose name KQED is not publishing because he is a minor, was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday morning. A hearing on whether he will be tried as an adult will be scheduled at a later date. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The police would not name the suspect because he is a minor, but said the teen boy was identified by a school resource officer within hours of the attack and arrested at a home in Suisun City.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At a press conference following the arrest, police information officer Michelle Belyea said the suspect entered the Spirit Halloween store at the Solano Town Center in Fairfield at approximately 8:30 Friday night. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At a press conference following the arrest, police information officer Michelle Belyea said the suspect entered the Spirit Halloween store at the Solano Town Center in Fairfield at approximately 8:30 Friday night. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The suspect then produced a firearm and fired multiple rounds at the victim,” Belyea said. “The gunfire struck the victim, as well as six other individuals inside of the store.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The pregnant woman, identified as Constance Hages, 31, died at the scene. Fairfield Police Chief Dan Marshall declined to say whether Hages was the intended target.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>911 began receiving calls about the attack at 8:31 pm, according to police logs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Belyea said the suspect fled the scene a few minutes later, just as officers arrived.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A school resource officer who reviewed security camera footage from the store recognized the suspect as a former student who’d been convicted of shooting at an occupied car in the parking lot of Fairfield High School on September 16, 2025.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This event shouldn’t have even occurred,” said Marshall. “California has gotten extremely soft on accountability with youth.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Marshall said the suspect served a few months in juvenile hall for his 2025 conviction and was released.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Apparently he was rehabilitated,” Marshall said, “and he’s back out to commit this horrendous crime.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Marshall said Friday’s mass shooting, on the heels of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087191/fairfield-community-mourns-after-deadly-grad-shooting\">deadly shooting\u003c/a> at a Fairfield high school graduation earlier this year that killed Jamario Baker, 18, and wounded three others, showed that something needs to change.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Marshall said Friday’s mass shooting, on the heels of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087191/fairfield-community-mourns-after-deadly-grad-shooting\">deadly shooting\u003c/a> at a Fairfield high school graduation earlier this year that killed Jamario Baker, 18, and wounded three others, showed that something needs to change.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Of the six victims who survived Friday’s attack, four were still hospitalized and receiving treatment, police said. A 19-year-old male remained in critical condition, while a 16-year-old male, 23-year-old male, and 32-year-old male were in stable condition.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Of the six victims who survived Friday’s attack, four were still hospitalized and receiving treatment, police said. A 19-year-old male remained in critical condition, while a 16-year-old male, 23-year-old male, and 32-year-old male were in stable condition.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Solano County district attorney filed charges against the minor Tuesday, including two counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, and three counts of assault with a semi-automatic weapon. The DA also filed a petition to move the case from juvenile court to try the minor as an adult. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Solano County district attorney filed charges against the minor Tuesday, including two counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, and three counts of assault with a semi-automatic weapon. The DA also filed a petition to move the case from juvenile court to try the minor as an adult. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The suspect, whose name KQED is not publishing because he is a minor, was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday morning. A hearing on whether he will be tried as an adult will be scheduled at a later date. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The suspect, whose name KQED is not publishing because he is a minor, was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday morning. A hearing on whether he will be tried as an adult will be scheduled at a later date. \u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "A pregnant woman was killed and six others were injured in the Friday night shooting at Solano Town Center. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fairfield police arrested a 17-year-old on Monday who is suspected of opening fire at a Halloween store, killing a pregnant woman and wounding six other people.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The police would not name the suspect because he is a minor, but said the teen boy was identified by a school resource officer within hours of the attack and arrested at a home in Suisun City.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At a press conference following the arrest, police information officer Michelle Belyea said the suspect entered the Spirit Halloween store at the Solano Town Center in Fairfield at approximately 8:30 Friday night. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The suspect then produced a firearm and fired multiple rounds at the victim,” Belyea said. “The gunfire struck the victim, as well as six other individuals inside of the store.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The pregnant woman, identified as Constance Hages, 31, died at the scene. Fairfield Police Chief Dan Marshall declined to say whether Hages was the intended target.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">911 began receiving calls about the attack at 8:31 pm, according to police logs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Belyea said the suspect fled the scene a few minutes later, just as officers arrived.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A school resource officer who reviewed security camera footage from the store recognized the suspect as a former student who’d been convicted of shooting at an occupied car in the parking lot of Fairfield High School on September 16, 2025.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This event shouldn’t have even occurred,” said Marshall. “California has gotten extremely soft on accountability with youth.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marshall said the suspect served a few months in juvenile hall for his 2025 conviction and was released.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Apparently he was rehabilitated,” Marshall said, “and he’s back out to commit this horrendous crime.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marshall said Friday’s mass shooting, on the heels of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087191/fairfield-community-mourns-after-deadly-grad-shooting\">deadly shooting\u003c/a> at a Fairfield high school graduation earlier this year that killed Jamario Baker, 18, and wounded three others, showed that something needs to change.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of the six victims who survived Friday’s attack, four were still hospitalized and receiving treatment, police said. A 19-year-old male remained in critical condition, while a 16-year-old male, 23-year-old male, and 32-year-old male were in stable condition.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Solano County district attorney filed charges against the minor Tuesday, including two counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, and three counts of assault with a semi-automatic weapon. The DA also filed a petition to move the case from juvenile court to try the minor as an adult. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The suspect, whose name KQED is not publishing because he is a minor, was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday morning. A hearing on whether he will be tried as an adult will be scheduled at a later date. \u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "consummate-hustler-controversial-government-witness-set-to-testify-in-thao-trial",
"title": "Campaign Promises, Bags of Cash, Karaoke: A ‘Consummate Hustler’ Takes the Stand in Thao Trial",
"publishDate": 1793376000,
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"headTitle": "Campaign Promises, Bags of Cash, Karaoke: A ‘Consummate Hustler’ Takes the Stand in Thao Trial | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his first day of testimony Friday, the star witness in Sheng Thao’s Oakland \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/shengthaotrial\">corruption trial\u003c/a> unloaded explosive allegations about courting city staffers with drugs and girls, doling out gym bags filled with cash for defendants in the case and the ex-mayor’s escalating asks for more money.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mario Juarez, an Oakland businessman and political operative, has pleaded guilty to participating in an alleged scheme to bribe Thao in exchange for a city contract for a housing startup he cofounded, called Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Defense attorneys have repeatedly questioned Juarez’s credibility as a witness, calling him a “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104365/politics-as-profit-or-pure-fiction-bribery-trial-of-ex-oakland-mayor-kicks-off\">consummate hustler\u003c/a>” with a “decades-long history” of fraud. They’ve described a history of Juarez falsely accusing other people when his own business ventures sour and pointed to numerous lawsuits Juarez has been involved in — 33 between 1992 and 2022 — including fraud cases involving former business partners.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He’s agreed to testify on behalf of the government in their case against Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, in hopes of a lighter sentence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The four codefendants are facing conspiracy, bribery and fraud charges for an alleged quid pro quo in which the Duongs agreed to provide financial support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral run and give Jones a no-show job for $300,000 at Evolutionary Homes. In return, prosecutors say that in addition to the contract for Evolutionary Homes, Thao allegedly agreed to help elevate city staffers to director level positions in City Hall at the Duongs’ and Juarez’s request and help the Duongs’ other business, California Waste Solutions, with city deals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During his opening statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine told the jury Juarez is “no angel,” and had a “history of doing dirty work” for the Duongs. Still, Fine said, Juarez’s testimony will line up with thousands of texts, audio recordings and taped phone calls they’ve introduced in evidence. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez will return to the witness stand on Thursday, when court resumes, and is expected to face tough questions from defense attorneys.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gym bags of money\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez told the court that he met recycling executive David and Andy Duong around 2008, when he was first running for Oakland City Council, and that he and the family had formed an amicable working relationship. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said after the family supported his two unsuccessful council bids, in 2008 and again in 2012, he helped them lobby for Oakland’s curbside recycling contract in 2014. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They were the underdog at the time,” he told the court. “And they wanted to win.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ultimately, California Waste Solutions was selected against city staff’s recommendation, Juarez said. The company \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/public-works/documents/sustainability/zero-waste-history/ordinance-13254.pdf\">won the contract\u003c/a> in a controversial 7-1 vote in August 2014. Councilmember Noel Gallo cast the sole no vote, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/public-works/documents/sustainability/zero-waste-history/ordinance-13254.pdf\">city records\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The following day, Juarez testified, a number of people lined up outside the California Waste Solutions’ office to talk to David Duong. He said some came to congratulate him, while others “were there to collect money.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said he loaded cash into gym bags, including one with up to $300,000, and helped David Duong distribute them to those people, including a sitting city council member and another person who he said came on behalf of a “sitting councilwoman.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez told the court that in the months after California Waste Solutions won the 2014 contract, another company who entered a bid wanted to overrule the decision by putting a referendum before voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said he helped the Duongs’ work to block those efforts, in one instance getting into a shoving match with someone collecting signatures for the potential ballot measure.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“After the shoving match… David Duong asked me ‘What did I want?’” Juarez recalled. “I told him I don’t want any cash, I wanted to do business with him.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Andre wanted to be a millionaire’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They did start working together in October 2022, when Juarez and the Duongs cofounded Evolutionary Homes, which aimed to turn shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness. They spent roughly two years seeking contracts with various cities and counties around the Bay Area, including Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just weeks after officially incorporating Evolutionary Homes, Juarez met with Thao in his office to discuss a proposed bribery scheme. In an Apple note extracted from Juarez’s iCloud account around that time, he wrote he had a “1:30 meeting” with Thao. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under it, he said, was an outline he made for himself to “guide the conversation with her.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103338\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home development for people who are exiting homelessness. (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The note said the city would purchase 100 housing units, support California Waste Solutions’ deals and appoint key officials in exchange for the mailer campaign. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Juarez also said at that meeting, Thao told him she also wanted $300,000. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We agreed to do it through AJ,” Juarez said, referring to Jones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In December 2022, Jones received five checks for a total of $20,000, and Juarez said Thao agreed to increase the number of units the city would purchase to 300.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By March, Juarez said Jones was asking for more money, but that he and Thao hadn’t made much progress on their end of the deal. The five met for dinner, Juarez testified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We were a little frustrated,” he said. “At this point we wanted to bring the big guns, wanted to bring David Duong to the table to move this forward, to see what was the hold up,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-23-BL-KQED-689f6cdc.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107527\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-23-BL-KQED-689f6cdc.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-23-BL-KQED-689f6cdc-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-23-BL-KQED-689f6cdc-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a codefendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At that meeting, Juarez said Thao recommitted to the deal — for a price: “The structure [for paying Jones] went from $300,000 to a structure that would make them millionaires.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Andre wanted to be a millionaire out of this deal,” he told the court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead of a $300,000 flat fee, that would be the floor for Jones’ payment, Juarez testified. And, he added, Jones would be paid $10,000 for each unit sold to Oakland. For the promised 300 units, that would add up to a grand total of $3 million.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Throughout Juarez’s recounting of the alleged events, Thao and her attorney, Tsai, smiled and shook their heads from behind the defense table in the courtroom. In his opening statement, Tsai said Thao had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“There was certainly no agreement for any bribe of any kind, no discussion of $300,000 or modular housing units,” he told the jury. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>David Duong’s ‘plausible deniability\u003c/strong>’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said that throughout the alleged scheme, he and Andy Duong were supposed to handle communications with Thao and Jones, so that David Duong had “plausible deniability” if questions came up later.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“He wasn’t here, he didn’t know, he didn’t agree to anything,” Juarez said of the recycling executive. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his opening statement, David Duong’s attorney Jeff Schenk described his client as a hardworking immigrant from Vietnam and a legitimate businessman who held the financial power but had no knowledge of any bribery scheme or deals that his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“You cannot agree to a deal you didn’t know about,” Schenk said. “You will learn there were texts talking about a deal. They were not texts with David Duong. [There are] texts about David Duong.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Friday, prosecutors asked Juarez about a text conversation he had with Andy Duong in March 2023, in which he said they were expressing frustration that Jones had gone over their heads to contact David. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Why AJ only calling him?” Juarez texted Andy Duong on March 26, 2023. “Isn’t he supposed to call you???”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I am going to mention that,” Andy Duong responds. “Wtf ?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They were frustrated because, “we had communication directives,” Juarez said, adding that by contacting David Duong, Jones was “exposing” him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“My job is to protect David, make sure he can have plausible deniability, and now this guy is contacting him,” Juarez told the court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘There’s nothing wrong with karaoke’ \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the most heated parts of Juarez’s testimony, however, came as prosecutors questioned him about a night out he and Andy Duong had with Larry Gallegos, one of the city staffers they allegedly wanted appointed to a director position, and Brian Azavedo, a former San Leandro councilmember who has also pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from the Duongs in a related scheme. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said while they were courting Gallegos for the role, “It was important that [he] was shown a good time.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Andy Duong, he said, “was in charge of doing that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They went to a late night dinner and then a karaoke bar Andy Duong owned, Juarez said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said Andy Duong “ordered about 20 girls to come in” wearing very little clothing and dance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There was “use of substances,” Juarez said, before the defense raised a series of objections. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In pretrial motions, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled videos taken at the karaoke bar inadmissible. She ordered the prosecution to move on from the topic of the night out and said they might be able to return to it later. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“There’s nothing wrong with karaoke, generally speaking — unless you hear me sing,” Gonzalez Rogers told the jury, attempting to redirect their attention away from possible inadmissible testimony. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The prosecution will continue questioning Juarez on Thursday, when the trial resumes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In his first day of testimony Friday, the star witness in Sheng Thao’s Oakland \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/shengthaotrial\">corruption trial\u003c/a> unloaded explosive allegations about courting city staffers with drugs and girls, doling out gym bags filled with cash for defendants in the case and the ex-mayor’s escalating asks for more money.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In his first day of testimony Friday, the star witness in Sheng Thao’s Oakland \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/shengthaotrial\">corruption trial\u003c/a> unloaded explosive allegations about courting city staffers with drugs and girls, doling out gym bags filled with cash for defendants in the case and the ex-mayor’s escalating asks for more money.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mario Juarez, an Oakland businessman and political operative, has pleaded guilty to participating in an alleged scheme to bribe Thao in exchange for a city contract for a housing startup he cofounded, called Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mario Juarez, an Oakland businessman and political operative, has pleaded guilty to participating in an alleged scheme to bribe Thao in exchange for a city contract for a housing startup he cofounded, called Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys have repeatedly questioned Juarez’s credibility as a witness, calling him a “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104365/politics-as-profit-or-pure-fiction-bribery-trial-of-ex-oakland-mayor-kicks-off\">consummate hustler\u003c/a>” with a “decades-long history” of fraud. They’ve described a history of Juarez falsely accusing other people when his own business ventures sour and pointed to numerous lawsuits Juarez has been involved in — 33 between 1992 and 2022 — including fraud cases involving former business partners.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys have repeatedly questioned Juarez’s credibility as a witness, calling him a “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104365/politics-as-profit-or-pure-fiction-bribery-trial-of-ex-oakland-mayor-kicks-off\">consummate hustler\u003c/a>” with a “decades-long history” of fraud. They’ve described a history of Juarez falsely accusing other people when his own business ventures sour and pointed to numerous lawsuits Juarez has been involved in — 33 between 1992 and 2022 — including fraud cases involving former business partners.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He’s agreed to testify on behalf of the government in their case against Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, in hopes of a lighter sentence.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He’s agreed to testify on behalf of the government in their case against Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, in hopes of a lighter sentence.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The four codefendants are facing conspiracy, bribery and fraud charges for an alleged quid pro quo in which the Duongs agreed to provide financial support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral run and give Jones a no-show job for $300,000 at Evolutionary Homes. In return, prosecutors say that in addition to the contract for Evolutionary Homes, Thao allegedly agreed to help elevate city staffers to director level positions in City Hall at the Duongs’ and Juarez’s request and help the Duongs’ other business, California Waste Solutions, with city deals.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The four codefendants are facing conspiracy, bribery and fraud charges for an alleged quid pro quo in which the Duongs agreed to provide financial support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral run and give Jones a no-show job for $300,000 at Evolutionary Homes. In return, prosecutors say that in addition to the contract for Evolutionary Homes, Thao allegedly agreed to help elevate city staffers to director level positions in City Hall at the Duongs’ and Juarez’s request and help the Duongs’ other business, California Waste Solutions, with city deals.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During his opening statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine told the jury Juarez is “no angel,” and had a “history of doing dirty work” for the Duongs. Still, Fine said, Juarez’s testimony will line up with thousands of texts, audio recordings and taped phone calls they’ve introduced in evidence. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During his opening statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine told the jury Juarez is “no angel,” and had a “history of doing dirty work” for the Duongs. Still, Fine said, Juarez’s testimony will line up with thousands of texts, audio recordings and taped phone calls they’ve introduced in evidence. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez will return to the witness stand on Thursday, when court resumes, and is expected to face tough questions from defense attorneys.\u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "Gym bags of money",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gym bags of money\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gym bags of money\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez told the court that he met recycling executive David and Andy Duong around 2008, when he was first running for Oakland City Council, and that he and the family had formed an amicable working relationship. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Juarez told the court that he met recycling executive David and Andy Duong around 2008, when he was first running for Oakland City Council, and that he and the family had formed an amicable working relationship. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He said after the family supported his two unsuccessful council bids, in 2008 and again in 2012, he helped them lobby for Oakland’s curbside recycling contract in 2014. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He said after the family supported his two unsuccessful council bids, in 2008 and again in 2012, he helped them lobby for Oakland’s curbside recycling contract in 2014. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They were the underdog at the time,” he told the court. “And they wanted to win.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“They were the underdog at the time,” he told the court. “And they wanted to win.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ultimately, California Waste Solutions was selected against city staff’s recommendation, Juarez said. The company \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/public-works/documents/sustainability/zero-waste-history/ordinance-13254.pdf\">won the contract\u003c/a> in a controversial 7-1 vote in August 2014. Councilmember Noel Gallo cast the sole no vote, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/public-works/documents/sustainability/zero-waste-history/ordinance-13254.pdf\">city records\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Ultimately, California Waste Solutions was selected against city staff’s recommendation, Juarez said. The company \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/public-works/documents/sustainability/zero-waste-history/ordinance-13254.pdf\">won the contract\u003c/a> in a controversial 7-1 vote in August 2014. Councilmember Noel Gallo cast the sole no vote, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/public-works/documents/sustainability/zero-waste-history/ordinance-13254.pdf\">city records\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The following day, Juarez testified, a number of people lined up outside the California Waste Solutions’ office to talk to David Duong. He said some came to congratulate him, while others “were there to collect money.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The following day, Juarez testified, a number of people lined up outside the California Waste Solutions’ office to talk to David Duong. He said some came to congratulate him, while others “were there to collect money.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez said he loaded cash into gym bags, including one with up to $300,000, and helped David Duong distribute them to those people, including a sitting city council member and another person who he said came on behalf of a “sitting councilwoman.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Juarez said he loaded cash into gym bags, including one with up to $300,000, and helped David Duong distribute them to those people, including a sitting city council member and another person who he said came on behalf of a “sitting councilwoman.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez told the court that in the months after California Waste Solutions won the 2014 contract, another company who entered a bid wanted to overrule the decision by putting a referendum before voters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Juarez told the court that in the months after California Waste Solutions won the 2014 contract, another company who entered a bid wanted to overrule the decision by putting a referendum before voters. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez said he helped the Duongs’ work to block those efforts, in one instance getting into a shoving match with someone collecting signatures for the potential ballot measure.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Juarez said he helped the Duongs’ work to block those efforts, in one instance getting into a shoving match with someone collecting signatures for the potential ballot measure.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“After the shoving match… David Duong asked me ‘What did I want?’” Juarez recalled. “I told him I don’t want any cash, I wanted to do business with him.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“After the shoving match… David Duong asked me ‘What did I want?’” Juarez recalled. “I told him I don’t want any cash, I wanted to do business with him.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "‘Andre wanted to be a millionaire’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Andre wanted to be a millionaire’\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They did start working together in October 2022, when Juarez and the Duongs cofounded Evolutionary Homes, which aimed to turn shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness. They spent roughly two years seeking contracts with various cities and counties around the Bay Area, including Oakland. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>They did start working together in October 2022, when Juarez and the Duongs cofounded Evolutionary Homes, which aimed to turn shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness. They spent roughly two years seeking contracts with various cities and counties around the Bay Area, including Oakland. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Just weeks after officially incorporating Evolutionary Homes, Juarez met with Thao in his office to discuss a proposed bribery scheme. In an Apple note extracted from Juarez’s iCloud account around that time, he wrote he had a “1:30 meeting” with Thao. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Just weeks after officially incorporating Evolutionary Homes, Juarez met with Thao in his office to discuss a proposed bribery scheme. In an Apple note extracted from Juarez’s iCloud account around that time, he wrote he had a “1:30 meeting” with Thao. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Instead of a $300,000 flat fee, that would be the floor for Jones’ payment, Juarez testified. And, he added, Jones would be paid $10,000 for each unit sold to Oakland. For the promised 300 units, that would add up to a grand total of $3 million.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez said that throughout the alleged scheme, he and Andy Duong were supposed to handle communications with Thao and Jones, so that David Duong had “plausible deniability” if questions came up later.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“He wasn’t here, he didn’t know, he didn’t agree to anything,” Juarez said of the recycling executive. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You cannot agree to a deal you didn’t know about,” Schenk said. “You will learn there were texts talking about a deal. They were not texts with David Duong. [There are] texts about David Duong.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Friday, prosecutors asked Juarez about a text conversation he had with Andy Duong in March 2023, in which he said they were expressing frustration that Jones had gone over their heads to contact David. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Why AJ only calling him?” Juarez texted Andy Duong on March 26, 2023. “Isn’t he supposed to call you???”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I am going to mention that,” Andy Duong responds. “Wtf ?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They were frustrated because, “we had communication directives,” Juarez said, adding that by contacting David Duong, Jones was “exposing” him. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“My job is to protect David, make sure he can have plausible deniability, and now this guy is contacting him,” Juarez told the court. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of the most heated parts of Juarez’s testimony, however, came as prosecutors questioned him about a night out he and Andy Duong had with Larry Gallegos, one of the city staffers they allegedly wanted appointed to a director position, and Brian Azavedo, a former San Leandro councilmember who has also pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from the Duongs in a related scheme. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They went to a late night dinner and then a karaoke bar Andy Duong owned, Juarez said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He said Andy Duong “ordered about 20 girls to come in” wearing very little clothing and dance. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In pretrial motions, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled videos taken at the karaoke bar inadmissible. She ordered the prosecution to move on from the topic of the night out and said they might be able to return to it later. \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Mario Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and three others.\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his first day of testimony Friday, the star witness in Sheng Thao’s Oakland \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/shengthaotrial\">corruption trial\u003c/a> unloaded explosive allegations about courting city staffers with drugs and girls, doling out gym bags filled with cash for defendants in the case and the ex-mayor’s escalating asks for more money.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mario Juarez, an Oakland businessman and political operative, has pleaded guilty to participating in an alleged scheme to bribe Thao in exchange for a city contract for a housing startup he cofounded, called Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Defense attorneys have repeatedly questioned Juarez’s credibility as a witness, calling him a “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104365/politics-as-profit-or-pure-fiction-bribery-trial-of-ex-oakland-mayor-kicks-off\">consummate hustler\u003c/a>” with a “decades-long history” of fraud. They’ve described a history of Juarez falsely accusing other people when his own business ventures sour and pointed to numerous lawsuits Juarez has been involved in — 33 between 1992 and 2022 — including fraud cases involving former business partners.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He’s agreed to testify on behalf of the government in their case against Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, in hopes of a lighter sentence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The four codefendants are facing conspiracy, bribery and fraud charges for an alleged quid pro quo in which the Duongs agreed to provide financial support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral run and give Jones a no-show job for $300,000 at Evolutionary Homes. In return, prosecutors say that in addition to the contract for Evolutionary Homes, Thao allegedly agreed to help elevate city staffers to director level positions in City Hall at the Duongs’ and Juarez’s request and help the Duongs’ other business, California Waste Solutions, with city deals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During his opening statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine told the jury Juarez is “no angel,” and had a “history of doing dirty work” for the Duongs. Still, Fine said, Juarez’s testimony will line up with thousands of texts, audio recordings and taped phone calls they’ve introduced in evidence. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez will return to the witness stand on Thursday, when court resumes, and is expected to face tough questions from defense attorneys.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gym bags of money\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez told the court that he met recycling executive David and Andy Duong around 2008, when he was first running for Oakland City Council, and that he and the family had formed an amicable working relationship. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said after the family supported his two unsuccessful council bids, in 2008 and again in 2012, he helped them lobby for Oakland’s curbside recycling contract in 2014. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They were the underdog at the time,” he told the court. “And they wanted to win.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ultimately, California Waste Solutions was selected against city staff’s recommendation, Juarez said. The company \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/public-works/documents/sustainability/zero-waste-history/ordinance-13254.pdf\">won the contract\u003c/a> in a controversial 7-1 vote in August 2014. Councilmember Noel Gallo cast the sole no vote, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/public-works/documents/sustainability/zero-waste-history/ordinance-13254.pdf\">city records\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The following day, Juarez testified, a number of people lined up outside the California Waste Solutions’ office to talk to David Duong. He said some came to congratulate him, while others “were there to collect money.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said he loaded cash into gym bags, including one with up to $300,000, and helped David Duong distribute them to those people, including a sitting city council member and another person who he said came on behalf of a “sitting councilwoman.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez told the court that in the months after California Waste Solutions won the 2014 contract, another company who entered a bid wanted to overrule the decision by putting a referendum before voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said he helped the Duongs’ work to block those efforts, in one instance getting into a shoving match with someone collecting signatures for the potential ballot measure.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“After the shoving match… David Duong asked me ‘What did I want?’” Juarez recalled. “I told him I don’t want any cash, I wanted to do business with him.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Andre wanted to be a millionaire’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They did start working together in October 2022, when Juarez and the Duongs cofounded Evolutionary Homes, which aimed to turn shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness. They spent roughly two years seeking contracts with various cities and counties around the Bay Area, including Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just weeks after officially incorporating Evolutionary Homes, Juarez met with Thao in his office to discuss a proposed bribery scheme. In an Apple note extracted from Juarez’s iCloud account around that time, he wrote he had a “1:30 meeting” with Thao. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under it, he said, was an outline he made for himself to “guide the conversation with her.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103338\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home development for people who are exiting homelessness. (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The note said the city would purchase 100 housing units, support California Waste Solutions’ deals and appoint key officials in exchange for the mailer campaign. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Juarez also said at that meeting, Thao told him she also wanted $300,000. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We agreed to do it through AJ,” Juarez said, referring to Jones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In December 2022, Jones received five checks for a total of $20,000, and Juarez said Thao agreed to increase the number of units the city would purchase to 300.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By March, Juarez said Jones was asking for more money, but that he and Thao hadn’t made much progress on their end of the deal. The five met for dinner, Juarez testified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We were a little frustrated,” he said. “At this point we wanted to bring the big guns, wanted to bring David Duong to the table to move this forward, to see what was the hold up,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-23-BL-KQED-689f6cdc.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107527\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-23-BL-KQED-689f6cdc.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-23-BL-KQED-689f6cdc-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-23-BL-KQED-689f6cdc-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a codefendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At that meeting, Juarez said Thao recommitted to the deal — for a price: “The structure [for paying Jones] went from $300,000 to a structure that would make them millionaires.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Andre wanted to be a millionaire out of this deal,” he told the court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead of a $300,000 flat fee, that would be the floor for Jones’ payment, Juarez testified. And, he added, Jones would be paid $10,000 for each unit sold to Oakland. For the promised 300 units, that would add up to a grand total of $3 million.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Throughout Juarez’s recounting of the alleged events, Thao and her attorney, Tsai, smiled and shook their heads from behind the defense table in the courtroom. In his opening statement, Tsai said Thao had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“There was certainly no agreement for any bribe of any kind, no discussion of $300,000 or modular housing units,” he told the jury. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>David Duong’s ‘plausible deniability\u003c/strong>’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said that throughout the alleged scheme, he and Andy Duong were supposed to handle communications with Thao and Jones, so that David Duong had “plausible deniability” if questions came up later.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“He wasn’t here, he didn’t know, he didn’t agree to anything,” Juarez said of the recycling executive. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his opening statement, David Duong’s attorney Jeff Schenk described his client as a hardworking immigrant from Vietnam and a legitimate businessman who held the financial power but had no knowledge of any bribery scheme or deals that his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“You cannot agree to a deal you didn’t know about,” Schenk said. “You will learn there were texts talking about a deal. They were not texts with David Duong. [There are] texts about David Duong.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Friday, prosecutors asked Juarez about a text conversation he had with Andy Duong in March 2023, in which he said they were expressing frustration that Jones had gone over their heads to contact David. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Why AJ only calling him?” Juarez texted Andy Duong on March 26, 2023. “Isn’t he supposed to call you???”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I am going to mention that,” Andy Duong responds. “Wtf ?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They were frustrated because, “we had communication directives,” Juarez said, adding that by contacting David Duong, Jones was “exposing” him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“My job is to protect David, make sure he can have plausible deniability, and now this guy is contacting him,” Juarez told the court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘There’s nothing wrong with karaoke’ \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the most heated parts of Juarez’s testimony, however, came as prosecutors questioned him about a night out he and Andy Duong had with Larry Gallegos, one of the city staffers they allegedly wanted appointed to a director position, and Brian Azavedo, a former San Leandro councilmember who has also pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from the Duongs in a related scheme. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said while they were courting Gallegos for the role, “It was important that [he] was shown a good time.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Andy Duong, he said, “was in charge of doing that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They went to a late night dinner and then a karaoke bar Andy Duong owned, Juarez said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said Andy Duong “ordered about 20 girls to come in” wearing very little clothing and dance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There was “use of substances,” Juarez said, before the defense raised a series of objections. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In pretrial motions, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled videos taken at the karaoke bar inadmissible. She ordered the prosecution to move on from the topic of the night out and said they might be able to return to it later. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“There’s nothing wrong with karaoke, generally speaking — unless you hear me sing,” Gonzalez Rogers told the jury, attempting to redirect their attention away from possible inadmissible testimony. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The prosecution will continue questioning Juarez on Thursday, when the trial resumes.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "sheng-thao-trial-former-oakland-employee-alleges-far-reaching-conspiracy",
"title": "Sheng Thao Trial: Former Oakland Employee Alleges ‘Far-Reaching’ Conspiracy",
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"headTitle": "Sheng Thao Trial: Former Oakland Employee Alleges ‘Far-Reaching’ Conspiracy | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Former Oakland city staffers took the stand in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/shengthaotrial\">Sheng Thao’s corruption trial\u003c/a> on Thursday, testifying about the inner workings of the various departments that advance potential housing projects, like the one alleged to be at the center of a sprawling bribery scheme.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">LaTonda Simmons, who served as Oakland’s assistant city administrator during Thao’s mayoral administration, and Jestin Johnson, who Thao named city administrator in May 2023, also testified about the city’s dealings with potential contractors, including Evolutionary Homes, the housing startup founded by defendants in the case, David Duong and his son Andy Duong.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Duongs, along with Thao and her former romantic partner Andre Jones, are facing bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges for an alleged quid pro quo in which the Duongs purportedly pledged to support Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign and a no-show job for Jones. In exchange, Thao would allegedly pursue a city contract with Evolutionary Homes and extend an existing contract with the Duongs’ other company, California Waste Solutions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-11.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098349\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-11.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-11-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-11-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sheng Thao stands next to her attorney, Jeff Tsai, as he makes a statement outside the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12098352\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-14.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098352\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-14.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-14-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-14-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, a longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, leaves the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" data-id=\"12098354\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-2000x1334.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098354\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong exits the U.S. District Court in Oakland on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors also allege that Thao agreed to elevate city staffers to director-level positions at the request of the Duongs and their co-conspirator-turned FBI informant, Mario Juarez.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Simmons told the court that after she was fired as the assistant city administrator in June 2025, after 20 years working for the city of Oakland, she wrote and handed over to the Justice Department a document detailing what she believes was a vast conspiracy by city officials during Thao’s administration to consolidate control of all of the city’s homelessness funding into one department.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“You wrote up this treatise … of people you thought were part of a cabal that was trying to merge departments, correct?” Shawn Halbert, Jones’ defense attorney, asked Simmons. She agreed that she did. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“You decided this was a much more far-reaching conspiracy than even the government was alleging,” Halbert said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I did believe that, yes,” Simmons told the court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Simmons testified that she believed former interim City Administrator Harold Duffey and Johnson — both named as witnesses in the ongoing trial — were part of the conspiracy, and that multiple other city staffers had been “secretly recruited amid a ploy to merge the city’s Housing and Community Development Department with the Community Homelessness Services program, which was under the Human Services Department. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The consolidation, which was included in Thao’s May 2023 budget proposal, was not ultimately enacted. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Simmons also accused Duffey and Johnson of being untruthful in certain interactions with her.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Specifically, she referenced an interview she and Duffey both attended while he was interim city administrator with an employee who “had lodged a complaint of sexual harassment.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Her statements related to the content of that meeting were stricken from the record by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rodriguez. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Johnson, who was terminated this summer over \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">allegations of inappropriate text messages\u003c/a> about female colleagues, took the stand around noon. He told the court that Thao asked him to meet with David and Andy Duong in late 2023, and to tour Evolutionary Homes in January 2024. He said she did not ask him to visit any other homelessness operations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104321\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, left, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao’s attorney Jeff Tsai used his cross-examination to point out that the introductory meetings were typical for a new city administrator, especially given David Duong’s role as a city contractor: “[Thao] introduced you to David Duong in his capacity as the CEO of [California Waste Solutions].”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He also suggested that going on such a tour was not unusual, and that after, Thao didn’t ask him to pursue a deal to purchase housing units from Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“After this text on Jan. 8, [2024], the mayor never discussed Evolutionary Homes with you?” Tsai asked. “I do not recall,” Johnson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He’ll return to the stand on Friday morning, before Juarez is expected to begin what could be one of the government’s most pivotal testimonies.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You wrote up this treatise … of people you thought were part of a cabal that was trying to merge departments, correct?” Shawn Halbert, Jones’ defense attorney, asked Simmons. She agreed that she did. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I did believe that, yes,” Simmons told the court. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Simmons testified that she believed former interim City Administrator Harold Duffey and Johnson — both named as witnesses in the ongoing trial — were part of the conspiracy, and that multiple other city staffers had been “secretly recruited amid a ploy to merge the city’s Housing and Community Development Department with the Community Homelessness Services program, which was under the Human Services Department. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Specifically, she referenced an interview she and Duffey both attended while he was interim city administrator with an employee who “had lodged a complaint of sexual harassment.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Johnson, who was terminated this summer over \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">allegations of inappropriate text messages\u003c/a> about female colleagues, took the stand around noon. He told the court that Thao asked him to meet with David and Andy Duong in late 2023, and to tour Evolutionary Homes in January 2024. He said she did not ask him to visit any other homelessness operations. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Johnson, who was terminated this summer over \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">allegations of inappropriate text messages\u003c/a> about female colleagues, took the stand around noon. He told the court that Thao asked him to meet with David and Andy Duong in late 2023, and to tour Evolutionary Homes in January 2024. He said she did not ask him to visit any other homelessness operations. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104321\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, left, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“After this text on Jan. 8, [2024], the mayor never discussed Evolutionary Homes with you?” Tsai asked. “I do not recall,” Johnson said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Former Oakland city staffers took the stand in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/shengthaotrial\">Sheng Thao’s corruption trial\u003c/a> on Thursday, testifying about the inner workings of the various departments that advance potential housing projects, like the one alleged to be at the center of a sprawling bribery scheme.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">LaTonda Simmons, who served as Oakland’s assistant city administrator during Thao’s mayoral administration, and Jestin Johnson, who Thao named city administrator in May 2023, also testified about the city’s dealings with potential contractors, including Evolutionary Homes, the housing startup founded by defendants in the case, David Duong and his son Andy Duong.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Duongs, along with Thao and her former romantic partner Andre Jones, are facing bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges for an alleged quid pro quo in which the Duongs purportedly pledged to support Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign and a no-show job for Jones. In exchange, Thao would allegedly pursue a city contract with Evolutionary Homes and extend an existing contract with the Duongs’ other company, California Waste Solutions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-11.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098349\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-11.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-11-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-11-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sheng Thao stands next to her attorney, Jeff Tsai, as he makes a statement outside the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12098352\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-14.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098352\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-14.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-14-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-14-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, a longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, leaves the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" data-id=\"12098354\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-2000x1334.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098354\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong exits the U.S. District Court in Oakland on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors also allege that Thao agreed to elevate city staffers to director-level positions at the request of the Duongs and their co-conspirator-turned FBI informant, Mario Juarez.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Simmons told the court that after she was fired as the assistant city administrator in June 2025, after 20 years working for the city of Oakland, she wrote and handed over to the Justice Department a document detailing what she believes was a vast conspiracy by city officials during Thao’s administration to consolidate control of all of the city’s homelessness funding into one department.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“You wrote up this treatise … of people you thought were part of a cabal that was trying to merge departments, correct?” Shawn Halbert, Jones’ defense attorney, asked Simmons. She agreed that she did. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“You decided this was a much more far-reaching conspiracy than even the government was alleging,” Halbert said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I did believe that, yes,” Simmons told the court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Simmons testified that she believed former interim City Administrator Harold Duffey and Johnson — both named as witnesses in the ongoing trial — were part of the conspiracy, and that multiple other city staffers had been “secretly recruited amid a ploy to merge the city’s Housing and Community Development Department with the Community Homelessness Services program, which was under the Human Services Department. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The consolidation, which was included in Thao’s May 2023 budget proposal, was not ultimately enacted. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Simmons also accused Duffey and Johnson of being untruthful in certain interactions with her.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Specifically, she referenced an interview she and Duffey both attended while he was interim city administrator with an employee who “had lodged a complaint of sexual harassment.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Her statements related to the content of that meeting were stricken from the record by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rodriguez. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Johnson, who was terminated this summer over \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">allegations of inappropriate text messages\u003c/a> about female colleagues, took the stand around noon. He told the court that Thao asked him to meet with David and Andy Duong in late 2023, and to tour Evolutionary Homes in January 2024. He said she did not ask him to visit any other homelessness operations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104321\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, left, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao’s attorney Jeff Tsai used his cross-examination to point out that the introductory meetings were typical for a new city administrator, especially given David Duong’s role as a city contractor: “[Thao] introduced you to David Duong in his capacity as the CEO of [California Waste Solutions].”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He also suggested that going on such a tour was not unusual, and that after, Thao didn’t ask him to pursue a deal to purchase housing units from Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“After this text on Jan. 8, [2024], the mayor never discussed Evolutionary Homes with you?” Tsai asked. “I do not recall,” Johnson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He’ll return to the stand on Friday morning, before Juarez is expected to begin what could be one of the government’s most pivotal testimonies.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "2-san-jose-cops-arrested-for-drug-evidence-tampering-false-reports",
"title": "2 San José Cops Arrested for Drug Evidence Tampering, False Reports",
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"headTitle": "2 San José Cops Arrested for Drug Evidence Tampering, False Reports | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> police officers were arrested by their own department and charged with felonies for an alleged ploy to cover up the mishandling of drug evidence, authorities said Thursday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officers Raydarius Surry and Destiney Thompson were booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on Wednesday night after being charged with tampering with evidence and filing false police reports, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sjpd.org/Home/Components/News/News/3003/262#!/\">statement\u003c/a> from the San José Police Department. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Police said Surry, who has been with the department for eight years, never booked into evidence a “very small baggie containing a small amount of suspected narcotics, which was listed in his police report” following an arrest he made on May 3. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In August, police began an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12105737/san-joses-police-watchdog-report-shows-complaints-uses-of-force-increased\">internal investigation\u003c/a> into Surry’s actions and notified him about the missing evidence, which was set to be tested by the county crime lab.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12047902\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The exterior of the San José Police Department headquarters on April 18, 2024. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After he was notified, Surry stopped a person on the street on Aug. 12, and found them “in possession of a similar baggie of suspected narcotics,” police said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He seized the bag, but took no other enforcement action. Surrey allegedly then booked the bag into evidence under the case number for the May arrest without ever documenting the August stop or seizure of evidence, police said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The two cops are in a relationship, and police alleged that Thompson, 30, who has been with the department for six years, helped Surry, 29, plan the cover-up.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thompson “accessed and viewed body-worn camera footage of the May 3rd, 2026, arrest to assist [Surry] in planning the replacement of the missing evidence,” police said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Officers are required to maintain the chain of custody without exception and to be completely truthful in their accounts of interactions with the public,” San José Police Chief Paul Joseph said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both officers surrendered late Wednesday evening and were no longer in custody as of Thursday afternoon. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They were placed on leave last month while investigations took place, and the Police Department has since referred the case to the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training “for temporary decertification review while the criminal and administrative investigations are pending,” police said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Falsifying evidence or police reports is a crime, and our department moved swiftly to remove both officers from duty and pursue criminal accountability. These allegations, if proven to be true, constitute a failure to live up to the standards our community has a right to expect,” Joseph said. “I will not tolerate any department member violating the sacred trust placed in us.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Police Department said that as part of the investigation, “a thorough review of both officers’ cases, arrests and evidence bookings” was completed. “The department did not discover any other discrepancies or similar actions by the two officers.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Surry was also arrested by SJPD in July 2022 for misdemeanor driving under the influence, when police said he and another driver collided near East San Fernando and South Fourth streets.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officers who responded to the crash said Surry, who was off-duty at the time, showed “symptoms of alcohol influence,” and he was booked into county jail, along with the other driver, who was also arrested on suspicion of DUI. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then-Chief of Police Anthony Mata said in a statement at the time, “I have no tolerance for behavior that does not align with the values of the San José Police Department, I will do everything in my authority to hold employees accountable when there is a violation of department policy or of the law.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Officers Raydarius Surry and Destiney Thompson were booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on Wednesday night after being charged with tampering with evidence and filing false police reports, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sjpd.org/Home/Components/News/News/3003/262#!/\">statement\u003c/a> from the San José Police Department. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Officers Raydarius Surry and Destiney Thompson were booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on Wednesday night after being charged with tampering with evidence and filing false police reports, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sjpd.org/Home/Components/News/News/3003/262#!/\">statement\u003c/a> from the San José Police Department. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Police said Surry, who has been with the department for eight years, never booked into evidence a “very small baggie containing a small amount of suspected narcotics, which was listed in his police report” following an arrest he made on May 3. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Police said Surry, who has been with the department for eight years, never booked into evidence a “very small baggie containing a small amount of suspected narcotics, which was listed in his police report” following an arrest he made on May 3. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In August, police began an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12105737/san-joses-police-watchdog-report-shows-complaints-uses-of-force-increased\">internal investigation\u003c/a> into Surry’s actions and notified him about the missing evidence, which was set to be tested by the county crime lab.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In August, police began an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12105737/san-joses-police-watchdog-report-shows-complaints-uses-of-force-increased\">internal investigation\u003c/a> into Surry’s actions and notified him about the missing evidence, which was set to be tested by the county crime lab.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After he was notified, Surry stopped a person on the street on Aug. 12, and found them “in possession of a similar baggie of suspected narcotics,” police said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After he was notified, Surry stopped a person on the street on Aug. 12, and found them “in possession of a similar baggie of suspected narcotics,” police said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He seized the bag, but took no other enforcement action. Surrey allegedly then booked the bag into evidence under the case number for the May arrest without ever documenting the August stop or seizure of evidence, police said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He seized the bag, but took no other enforcement action. Surrey allegedly then booked the bag into evidence under the case number for the May arrest without ever documenting the August stop or seizure of evidence, police said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The two cops are in a relationship, and police alleged that Thompson, 30, who has been with the department for six years, helped Surry, 29, plan the cover-up.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The two cops are in a relationship, and police alleged that Thompson, 30, who has been with the department for six years, helped Surry, 29, plan the cover-up.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thompson “accessed and viewed body-worn camera footage of the May 3rd, 2026, arrest to assist [Surry] in planning the replacement of the missing evidence,” police said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thompson “accessed and viewed body-worn camera footage of the May 3rd, 2026, arrest to assist [Surry] in planning the replacement of the missing evidence,” police said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Officers are required to maintain the chain of custody without exception and to be completely truthful in their accounts of interactions with the public,” San José Police Chief Paul Joseph said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Both officers surrendered late Wednesday evening and were no longer in custody as of Thursday afternoon. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They were placed on leave last month while investigations took place, and the Police Department has since referred the case to the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training “for temporary decertification review while the criminal and administrative investigations are pending,” police said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>They were placed on leave last month while investigations took place, and the Police Department has since referred the case to the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training “for temporary decertification review while the criminal and administrative investigations are pending,” police said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Falsifying evidence or police reports is a crime, and our department moved swiftly to remove both officers from duty and pursue criminal accountability. These allegations, if proven to be true, constitute a failure to live up to the standards our community has a right to expect,” Joseph said. “I will not tolerate any department member violating the sacred trust placed in us.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Falsifying evidence or police reports is a crime, and our department moved swiftly to remove both officers from duty and pursue criminal accountability. These allegations, if proven to be true, constitute a failure to live up to the standards our community has a right to expect,” Joseph said. “I will not tolerate any department member violating the sacred trust placed in us.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Police Department said that as part of the investigation, “a thorough review of both officers’ cases, arrests and evidence bookings” was completed. “The department did not discover any other discrepancies or similar actions by the two officers.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Police Department said that as part of the investigation, “a thorough review of both officers’ cases, arrests and evidence bookings” was completed. “The department did not discover any other discrepancies or similar actions by the two officers.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Surry was also arrested by SJPD in July 2022 for misdemeanor driving under the influence, when police said he and another driver collided near East San Fernando and South Fourth streets.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Surry was also arrested by SJPD in July 2022 for misdemeanor driving under the influence, when police said he and another driver collided near East San Fernando and South Fourth streets.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Officers who responded to the crash said Surry, who was off-duty at the time, showed “symptoms of alcohol influence,” and he was booked into county jail, along with the other driver, who was also arrested on suspicion of DUI. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Officers who responded to the crash said Surry, who was off-duty at the time, showed “symptoms of alcohol influence,” and he was booked into county jail, along with the other driver, who was also arrested on suspicion of DUI. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Then-Chief of Police Anthony Mata said in a statement at the time, “I have no tolerance for behavior that does not align with the values of the San José Police Department, I will do everything in my authority to hold employees accountable when there is a violation of department policy or of the law.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Then-Chief of Police Anthony Mata said in a statement at the time, “I have no tolerance for behavior that does not align with the values of the San José Police Department, I will do everything in my authority to hold employees accountable when there is a violation of department policy or of the law.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Two San José police officers were arrested and charged with felonies connected to a drug evidence ploy.",
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"title": "2 San José Cops Arrested for Drug Evidence Tampering, False Reports | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> police officers were arrested by their own department and charged with felonies for an alleged ploy to cover up the mishandling of drug evidence, authorities said Thursday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officers Raydarius Surry and Destiney Thompson were booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on Wednesday night after being charged with tampering with evidence and filing false police reports, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sjpd.org/Home/Components/News/News/3003/262#!/\">statement\u003c/a> from the San José Police Department. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Police said Surry, who has been with the department for eight years, never booked into evidence a “very small baggie containing a small amount of suspected narcotics, which was listed in his police report” following an arrest he made on May 3. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In August, police began an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12105737/san-joses-police-watchdog-report-shows-complaints-uses-of-force-increased\">internal investigation\u003c/a> into Surry’s actions and notified him about the missing evidence, which was set to be tested by the county crime lab.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12047902\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The exterior of the San José Police Department headquarters on April 18, 2024. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After he was notified, Surry stopped a person on the street on Aug. 12, and found them “in possession of a similar baggie of suspected narcotics,” police said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He seized the bag, but took no other enforcement action. Surrey allegedly then booked the bag into evidence under the case number for the May arrest without ever documenting the August stop or seizure of evidence, police said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The two cops are in a relationship, and police alleged that Thompson, 30, who has been with the department for six years, helped Surry, 29, plan the cover-up.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thompson “accessed and viewed body-worn camera footage of the May 3rd, 2026, arrest to assist [Surry] in planning the replacement of the missing evidence,” police said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Officers are required to maintain the chain of custody without exception and to be completely truthful in their accounts of interactions with the public,” San José Police Chief Paul Joseph said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both officers surrendered late Wednesday evening and were no longer in custody as of Thursday afternoon. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They were placed on leave last month while investigations took place, and the Police Department has since referred the case to the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training “for temporary decertification review while the criminal and administrative investigations are pending,” police said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Falsifying evidence or police reports is a crime, and our department moved swiftly to remove both officers from duty and pursue criminal accountability. These allegations, if proven to be true, constitute a failure to live up to the standards our community has a right to expect,” Joseph said. “I will not tolerate any department member violating the sacred trust placed in us.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Police Department said that as part of the investigation, “a thorough review of both officers’ cases, arrests and evidence bookings” was completed. “The department did not discover any other discrepancies or similar actions by the two officers.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Surry was also arrested by SJPD in July 2022 for misdemeanor driving under the influence, when police said he and another driver collided near East San Fernando and South Fourth streets.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officers who responded to the crash said Surry, who was off-duty at the time, showed “symptoms of alcohol influence,” and he was booked into county jail, along with the other driver, who was also arrested on suspicion of DUI. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then-Chief of Police Anthony Mata said in a statement at the time, “I have no tolerance for behavior that does not align with the values of the San José Police Department, I will do everything in my authority to hold employees accountable when there is a violation of department policy or of the law.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "too-bad-for-sheng-new-recordings-in-thao-trial-reveal-rift-between-former-mayor-co-conspirators",
"title": "‘Too Bad for Sheng’: New Recordings in Thao Trial Reveal Rift Between Former Mayor, Co-Conspirators",
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"headTitle": "‘Too Bad for Sheng’: New Recordings in Thao Trial Reveal Rift Between Former Mayor, Co-Conspirators | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors shed new light on Wednesday on the elusive housing startup that’s at the center of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/shengthaotrial\">Sheng Thao’s Oakland corruption trial\u003c/a> and its founders’ diminishing patience roughly a year into the alleged bribery scheme, as the former mayor seemed to lag on her end of the alleged deal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors played a series of audio recordings of Evolutionary Homes board meetings between November 2023 and February 2024 that were secretly recorded by Cecilia Mendez, who worked for the company and is the former romantic partner of government witness Mario Juarez, who’s pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez cofounded Evolutionary Homes with two of the co-defendants in the trial — Oakland recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong. The company sought to convert shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The tapes included conversations between Juarez and the Duongs about their efforts to acquire contracts for Evolutionary Homes with various Bay Area cities, including Oakland. In the recordings, they air frustrations with then-Mayor Thao and her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones over not delivering on that deal.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Duongs, Thao and Jones are currently facing charges of conspiracy, bribery and fraud related to an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103084/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-is-going-on-trial-for-bribery-heres-what-you-need-to-know\">alleged quid pro quo\u003c/a> in which prosecutors say Thao promised to help Evolutionary Homes secure a city contract in exchange for campaign support in her 2022 mayoral election and a $300,000 no-show job for Jones at the company.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoSketch_1-KQED-919b0cc9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106977\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoSketch_1-KQED-919b0cc9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoSketch_1-KQED-919b0cc9-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoSketch_1-KQED-919b0cc9-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoSketch_1-KQED-919b0cc9-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Asst. U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine directly examines Cecilia Mendez at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 28, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They also allege Thao agreed to appoint city staffers to director-level positions at the Duongs’ and Juarez’s request, and extend the city’s contract with another one of the Duongs’ businesses, California Waste Solutions, Oakland’s curbside recycler.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez, who said she worked for Evolutionary Homes for about seven months, also told the court on Wednesday about her personal and working relationship with Juarez, as defense attorneys attempted to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">cast further doubt\u003c/a> on his credibility. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez testified that she and Juarez’s relationship extended back more than 25 years. The two were in a romantic relationship for about five years, have an adult daughter together and are currently “friends,” according to Mendez. They have also worked on a number of business ventures together, including multiple in real estate, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez said that the duo was business partners until last year, and they remain in close contact to this day, speaking to Juarez regularly since she was subpoenaed in the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">David Duong’s attorney, Ed Swanson, pointed out that Mendez called Juarez on the day of all three of her pre-trial interviews with prosecutors, and as recently as Wednesday, when Mendez said she spoke to him “on my way to the court.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez said Juarez first told her about Evolutionary Homes in October 2023, and he asked her to begin taking notes during company board meetings because the usual notetaker was too ill to attend. Mendez said she covertly made the recordings because she didn’t have note-taking experience, and it made the process easier for her. Prosecutors on Wednesday played excerpts from five of those recordings for the jury.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the first tape, from a board meeting on Nov. 6, 2023, Juarez can be heard recounting to David Duong a recent dinner he had with Jones. In the recording, Juarez alleges that at the dinner, Jones asked him for “more money.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors say that between December 2022 and November 2023, the Duongs, through Juarez, had paid Jones $95,000 as part of the alleged bribery scheme. Jones’ attorneys have argued that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104365/politics-as-profit-or-pure-fiction-bribery-trial-of-ex-oakland-mayor-kicks-off\">he was a consultant\u003c/a> for the company, and that the payments Jones received were advances for his work as a government relations specialist.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the recording, Juarez relays to David Duong that he told Jones at the dinner: “Last time we talked, we said that … you were not going to get any more money from us until you delivered the deal.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later in the tape, David Duong tells Juarez to instruct Jones “to go to Mexico,” where Evolutionary Homes was purportedly manufacturing its housing units, “to collect.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“If he goes to Mexico, I’m going to kill him. I — he won’t come back alive,” Juarez replies, laughing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107054\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ed Swanson, defense attorney of co-defendant David Duong, cross-examines Cecilia Mendez at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 28, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The city of Oakland never signed a contract with Evolutionary Homes, though Thao and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson both visited the company’s showroom in 2023. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later in the Nov. 6 meeting, Juarez said on the recording that he told Jones: “I know that we should have the city administrator assigned to us, Larry Gallegos, to do this project.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors have alleged that Gallegos was one of the people who Juarez and the Duongs wanted elevated to a director-level position in City Hall. When Thao became mayor, Gallegos was a project manager in the Department of Economic and Workforce Development, but in March 2023, Gallegos was named Interim Deputy Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development after Thao allegedly advocated for his appointment. Earlier in the trial, Thao’s former chief of staff testified that the appointment came as a surprise to her, because she didn’t feel Gallegos was qualified for the job. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a later board meeting on Nov. 28, 2023, the business owners’ patience with Thao appears to be thinning. They say Thao has reportedly expressed that she wants Alameda County to purchase Evolutionary Homes units before the city does, apparently angering Juarez.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I have a long memory, and I’m pretty vengeful,” he said on the tape. “There are consequences to not keeping your end of the bargain, but that’s her decision.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_012_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103401\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_012_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_012_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_012_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A camera partially obscures David Duong as he poses on the red carpet during a private screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He continues, “Just know this: I have a lot of friends, a lot more friends than her … All I’m going to say is she is not a trustworthy person, and she does not keep her word, and that’s enough for people and that’s too bad for Sheng.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">David Duong counters, saying that instead of putting pressure on Thao, they should “help her out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“If you make the deal with me, but now I’m sitting down and find out all kind of [sic] shit that is happening, do I want to keep my deal and then start to create all kinds of problem later on, or big liability later? No,” he said. “You just have to help them where they’re comfortable, where they do it, and without getting them in trouble.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">David Duong goes on to say that they won’t sell housing units to Oakland by forcing Thao’s hand: “It’s not because I promise you so, ‘Yeah, I’m ready, I will go [to] jail for this.’ People don’t promise and just die because they promised.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In another recording from a Jan. 9, 2024, board meeting, David Duong and Juarez also discuss putting Jones’ name and contact information on Evolutionary Homes documents — “because that has to be on record,” David Duong said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12022840\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, leaves the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland, on Jan. 17, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez instructs someone who is not identified to “put Andre [Jones] and put his number” on a proposal for a future meeting with a Santa Clara County supervisor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors earlier this week called to the stand an FBI agent who testified that when agents raided the home Jones shared with Thao in 2024, they found no reference to Evolutionary Homes on Jones’ laptop. His defense attorney(s) have attempted to cast doubt on that assertion, pointing to company presentations that list him as an employee, as well as a note that indicates he was going to get business cards made by the company.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under cross-examination, defense attorneys attempted to poke holes in Mendez’ claim that she recorded the meetings for her own note-taking, pointing out that Huang, purportedly too sick to attend meetings, was present for several of the ones Mendez recorded, and that Mendez never generated any notes based on her tapes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Mendez said she did not tell Juarez that she was recording, defense attorneys repeatedly asked her if and when he knew the tapes existed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They also tried to cast doubt on both Juarez and Mendez’s working relationship and business practices.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While they worked together at Evolutionary Homes, Mendez said Juarez instructed her to write a fraudulent invoice and create an organizational chart for a subsidiary of the company that included names of people who did not currently work there in order to apply for certain permits.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Is it fair to say this document was just a Mario Juarez con to get permits for Evolutionary Homes?” Mark Goldrosen, Jones’ attorney, asked her. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez replied, “Yes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez also testified that in 2019, she was convicted of identity theft, grand theft of more than $100,000 and acting as a real estate agent without a license. Juarez, she said, knew about her convictions and continued to work with her. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez testified under a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12106868/key-witness-in-sheng-thao-corruption-trial-will-be-compelled-to-testify\">statutory immunity and compulsion order\u003c/a>, which required her to answer questions on the witness stand despite planning to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. In exchange, the order grants her statutory immunity, meaning that what she said during her testimony cannot be used against her in any state or federal criminal cases. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, former Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to testify.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors played a series of audio recordings of Evolutionary Homes board meetings between November 2023 and February 2024 that were secretly recorded by Cecilia Mendez, who worked for the company and is the former romantic partner of government witness Mario Juarez, who’s pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors played a series of audio recordings of Evolutionary Homes board meetings between November 2023 and February 2024 that were secretly recorded by Cecilia Mendez, who worked for the company and is the former romantic partner of government witness Mario Juarez, who’s pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez cofounded Evolutionary Homes with two of the co-defendants in the trial — Oakland recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong. The company sought to convert shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The tapes included conversations between Juarez and the Duongs about their efforts to acquire contracts for Evolutionary Homes with various Bay Area cities, including Oakland. In the recordings, they air frustrations with then-Mayor Thao and her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones over not delivering on that deal.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The tapes included conversations between Juarez and the Duongs about their efforts to acquire contracts for Evolutionary Homes with various Bay Area cities, including Oakland. In the recordings, they air frustrations with then-Mayor Thao and her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones over not delivering on that deal.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Duongs, Thao and Jones are currently facing charges of conspiracy, bribery and fraud related to an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103084/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-is-going-on-trial-for-bribery-heres-what-you-need-to-know\">alleged quid pro quo\u003c/a> in which prosecutors say Thao promised to help Evolutionary Homes secure a city contract in exchange for campaign support in her 2022 mayoral election and a $300,000 no-show job for Jones at the company.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Duongs, Thao and Jones are currently facing charges of conspiracy, bribery and fraud related to an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103084/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-is-going-on-trial-for-bribery-heres-what-you-need-to-know\">alleged quid pro quo\u003c/a> in which prosecutors say Thao promised to help Evolutionary Homes secure a city contract in exchange for campaign support in her 2022 mayoral election and a $300,000 no-show job for Jones at the company.\u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoSketch_1-KQED-919b0cc9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106977\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Asst. U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine directly examines Cecilia Mendez at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 28, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They also allege Thao agreed to appoint city staffers to director-level positions at the Duongs’ and Juarez’s request, and extend the city’s contract with another one of the Duongs’ businesses, California Waste Solutions, Oakland’s curbside recycler.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>They also allege Thao agreed to appoint city staffers to director-level positions at the Duongs’ and Juarez’s request, and extend the city’s contract with another one of the Duongs’ businesses, California Waste Solutions, Oakland’s curbside recycler.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mendez, who said she worked for Evolutionary Homes for about seven months, also told the court on Wednesday about her personal and working relationship with Juarez, as defense attorneys attempted to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">cast further doubt\u003c/a> on his credibility. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mendez, who said she worked for Evolutionary Homes for about seven months, also told the court on Wednesday about her personal and working relationship with Juarez, as defense attorneys attempted to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">cast further doubt\u003c/a> on his credibility. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mendez testified that she and Juarez’s relationship extended back more than 25 years. The two were in a romantic relationship for about five years, have an adult daughter together and are currently “friends,” according to Mendez. They have also worked on a number of business ventures together, including multiple in real estate, she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mendez testified that she and Juarez’s relationship extended back more than 25 years. The two were in a romantic relationship for about five years, have an adult daughter together and are currently “friends,” according to Mendez. They have also worked on a number of business ventures together, including multiple in real estate, she said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mendez said that the duo was business partners until last year, and they remain in close contact to this day, speaking to Juarez regularly since she was subpoenaed in the case. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>David Duong’s attorney, Ed Swanson, pointed out that Mendez called Juarez on the day of all three of her pre-trial interviews with prosecutors, and as recently as Wednesday, when Mendez said she spoke to him “on my way to the court.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>David Duong’s attorney, Ed Swanson, pointed out that Mendez called Juarez on the day of all three of her pre-trial interviews with prosecutors, and as recently as Wednesday, when Mendez said she spoke to him “on my way to the court.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mendez said Juarez first told her about Evolutionary Homes in October 2023, and he asked her to begin taking notes during company board meetings because the usual notetaker was too ill to attend. Mendez said she covertly made the recordings because she didn’t have note-taking experience, and it made the process easier for her. Prosecutors on Wednesday played excerpts from five of those recordings for the jury.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mendez said Juarez first told her about Evolutionary Homes in October 2023, and he asked her to begin taking notes during company board meetings because the usual notetaker was too ill to attend. Mendez said she covertly made the recordings because she didn’t have note-taking experience, and it made the process easier for her. Prosecutors on Wednesday played excerpts from five of those recordings for the jury.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the first tape, from a board meeting on Nov. 6, 2023, Juarez can be heard recounting to David Duong a recent dinner he had with Jones. In the recording, Juarez alleges that at the dinner, Jones asked him for “more money.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the first tape, from a board meeting on Nov. 6, 2023, Juarez can be heard recounting to David Duong a recent dinner he had with Jones. In the recording, Juarez alleges that at the dinner, Jones asked him for “more money.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say that between December 2022 and November 2023, the Duongs, through Juarez, had paid Jones $95,000 as part of the alleged bribery scheme. Jones’ attorneys have argued that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104365/politics-as-profit-or-pure-fiction-bribery-trial-of-ex-oakland-mayor-kicks-off\">he was a consultant\u003c/a> for the company, and that the payments Jones received were advances for his work as a government relations specialist.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say that between December 2022 and November 2023, the Duongs, through Juarez, had paid Jones $95,000 as part of the alleged bribery scheme. Jones’ attorneys have argued that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104365/politics-as-profit-or-pure-fiction-bribery-trial-of-ex-oakland-mayor-kicks-off\">he was a consultant\u003c/a> for the company, and that the payments Jones received were advances for his work as a government relations specialist.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the recording, Juarez relays to David Duong that he told Jones at the dinner: “Last time we talked, we said that … you were not going to get any more money from us until you delivered the deal.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the recording, Juarez relays to David Duong that he told Jones at the dinner: “Last time we talked, we said that … you were not going to get any more money from us until you delivered the deal.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Later in the tape, David Duong tells Juarez to instruct Jones “to go to Mexico,” where Evolutionary Homes was purportedly manufacturing its housing units, “to collect.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Later in the tape, David Duong tells Juarez to instruct Jones “to go to Mexico,” where Evolutionary Homes was purportedly manufacturing its housing units, “to collect.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If he goes to Mexico, I’m going to kill him. I — he won’t come back alive,” Juarez replies, laughing.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If he goes to Mexico, I’m going to kill him. I — he won’t come back alive,” Juarez replies, laughing.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107054\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ed Swanson, defense attorney of co-defendant David Duong, cross-examines Cecilia Mendez at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 28, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107054\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ed Swanson, defense attorney of co-defendant David Duong, cross-examines Cecilia Mendez at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 28, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city of Oakland never signed a contract with Evolutionary Homes, though Thao and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson both visited the company’s showroom in 2023. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Later in the Nov. 6 meeting, Juarez said on the recording that he told Jones: “I know that we should have the city administrator assigned to us, Larry Gallegos, to do this project.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Later in the Nov. 6 meeting, Juarez said on the recording that he told Jones: “I know that we should have the city administrator assigned to us, Larry Gallegos, to do this project.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have alleged that Gallegos was one of the people who Juarez and the Duongs wanted elevated to a director-level position in City Hall. When Thao became mayor, Gallegos was a project manager in the Department of Economic and Workforce Development, but in March 2023, Gallegos was named Interim Deputy Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development after Thao allegedly advocated for his appointment. Earlier in the trial, Thao’s former chief of staff testified that the appointment came as a surprise to her, because she didn’t feel Gallegos was qualified for the job. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a later board meeting on Nov. 28, 2023, the business owners’ patience with Thao appears to be thinning. They say Thao has reportedly expressed that she wants Alameda County to purchase Evolutionary Homes units before the city does, apparently angering Juarez.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I have a long memory, and I’m pretty vengeful,” he said on the tape. “There are consequences to not keeping your end of the bargain, but that’s her decision.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He continues, “Just know this: I have a lot of friends, a lot more friends than her … All I’m going to say is she is not a trustworthy person, and she does not keep her word, and that’s enough for people and that’s too bad for Sheng.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>David Duong counters, saying that instead of putting pressure on Thao, they should “help her out.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If you make the deal with me, but now I’m sitting down and find out all kind of [sic] shit that is happening, do I want to keep my deal and then start to create all kinds of problem later on, or big liability later? No,” he said. “You just have to help them where they’re comfortable, where they do it, and without getting them in trouble.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If you make the deal with me, but now I’m sitting down and find out all kind of [sic] shit that is happening, do I want to keep my deal and then start to create all kinds of problem later on, or big liability later? No,” he said. “You just have to help them where they’re comfortable, where they do it, and without getting them in trouble.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>David Duong goes on to say that they won’t sell housing units to Oakland by forcing Thao’s hand: “It’s not because I promise you so, ‘Yeah, I’m ready, I will go [to] jail for this.’ People don’t promise and just die because they promised.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>David Duong goes on to say that they won’t sell housing units to Oakland by forcing Thao’s hand: “It’s not because I promise you so, ‘Yeah, I’m ready, I will go [to] jail for this.’ People don’t promise and just die because they promised.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In another recording from a Jan. 9, 2024, board meeting, David Duong and Juarez also discuss putting Jones’ name and contact information on Evolutionary Homes documents — “because that has to be on record,” David Duong said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In another recording from a Jan. 9, 2024, board meeting, David Duong and Juarez also discuss putting Jones’ name and contact information on Evolutionary Homes documents — “because that has to be on record,” David Duong said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez instructs someone who is not identified to “put Andre [Jones] and put his number” on a proposal for a future meeting with a Santa Clara County supervisor.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors earlier this week called to the stand an FBI agent who testified that when agents raided the home Jones shared with Thao in 2024, they found no reference to Evolutionary Homes on Jones’ laptop. His defense attorney(s) have attempted to cast doubt on that assertion, pointing to company presentations that list him as an employee, as well as a note that indicates he was going to get business cards made by the company.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under cross-examination, defense attorneys attempted to poke holes in Mendez’ claim that she recorded the meetings for her own note-taking, pointing out that Huang, purportedly too sick to attend meetings, was present for several of the ones Mendez recorded, and that Mendez never generated any notes based on her tapes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While Mendez said she did not tell Juarez that she was recording, defense attorneys repeatedly asked her if and when he knew the tapes existed. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While they worked together at Evolutionary Homes, Mendez said Juarez instructed her to write a fraudulent invoice and create an organizational chart for a subsidiary of the company that included names of people who did not currently work there in order to apply for certain permits.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While they worked together at Evolutionary Homes, Mendez said Juarez instructed her to write a fraudulent invoice and create an organizational chart for a subsidiary of the company that included names of people who did not currently work there in order to apply for certain permits.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Is it fair to say this document was just a Mario Juarez con to get permits for Evolutionary Homes?” Mark Goldrosen, Jones’ attorney, asked her. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mendez also testified that in 2019, she was convicted of identity theft, grand theft of more than $100,000 and acting as a real estate agent without a license. Juarez, she said, knew about her convictions and continued to work with her. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mendez testified under a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12106868/key-witness-in-sheng-thao-corruption-trial-will-be-compelled-to-testify\">statutory immunity and compulsion order\u003c/a>, which required her to answer questions on the witness stand despite planning to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. In exchange, the order grants her statutory immunity, meaning that what she said during her testimony cannot be used against her in any state or federal criminal cases. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Thursday, former Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to testify.\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors shed new light on Wednesday on the elusive housing startup that’s at the center of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/shengthaotrial\">Sheng Thao’s Oakland corruption trial\u003c/a> and its founders’ diminishing patience roughly a year into the alleged bribery scheme, as the former mayor seemed to lag on her end of the alleged deal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors played a series of audio recordings of Evolutionary Homes board meetings between November 2023 and February 2024 that were secretly recorded by Cecilia Mendez, who worked for the company and is the former romantic partner of government witness Mario Juarez, who’s pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez cofounded Evolutionary Homes with two of the co-defendants in the trial — Oakland recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong. The company sought to convert shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The tapes included conversations between Juarez and the Duongs about their efforts to acquire contracts for Evolutionary Homes with various Bay Area cities, including Oakland. In the recordings, they air frustrations with then-Mayor Thao and her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones over not delivering on that deal.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Duongs, Thao and Jones are currently facing charges of conspiracy, bribery and fraud related to an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103084/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-is-going-on-trial-for-bribery-heres-what-you-need-to-know\">alleged quid pro quo\u003c/a> in which prosecutors say Thao promised to help Evolutionary Homes secure a city contract in exchange for campaign support in her 2022 mayoral election and a $300,000 no-show job for Jones at the company.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoSketch_1-KQED-919b0cc9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106977\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoSketch_1-KQED-919b0cc9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoSketch_1-KQED-919b0cc9-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoSketch_1-KQED-919b0cc9-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoSketch_1-KQED-919b0cc9-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Asst. U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine directly examines Cecilia Mendez at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 28, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They also allege Thao agreed to appoint city staffers to director-level positions at the Duongs’ and Juarez’s request, and extend the city’s contract with another one of the Duongs’ businesses, California Waste Solutions, Oakland’s curbside recycler.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez, who said she worked for Evolutionary Homes for about seven months, also told the court on Wednesday about her personal and working relationship with Juarez, as defense attorneys attempted to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">cast further doubt\u003c/a> on his credibility. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez testified that she and Juarez’s relationship extended back more than 25 years. The two were in a romantic relationship for about five years, have an adult daughter together and are currently “friends,” according to Mendez. They have also worked on a number of business ventures together, including multiple in real estate, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez said that the duo was business partners until last year, and they remain in close contact to this day, speaking to Juarez regularly since she was subpoenaed in the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">David Duong’s attorney, Ed Swanson, pointed out that Mendez called Juarez on the day of all three of her pre-trial interviews with prosecutors, and as recently as Wednesday, when Mendez said she spoke to him “on my way to the court.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez said Juarez first told her about Evolutionary Homes in October 2023, and he asked her to begin taking notes during company board meetings because the usual notetaker was too ill to attend. Mendez said she covertly made the recordings because she didn’t have note-taking experience, and it made the process easier for her. Prosecutors on Wednesday played excerpts from five of those recordings for the jury.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the first tape, from a board meeting on Nov. 6, 2023, Juarez can be heard recounting to David Duong a recent dinner he had with Jones. In the recording, Juarez alleges that at the dinner, Jones asked him for “more money.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors say that between December 2022 and November 2023, the Duongs, through Juarez, had paid Jones $95,000 as part of the alleged bribery scheme. Jones’ attorneys have argued that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104365/politics-as-profit-or-pure-fiction-bribery-trial-of-ex-oakland-mayor-kicks-off\">he was a consultant\u003c/a> for the company, and that the payments Jones received were advances for his work as a government relations specialist.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the recording, Juarez relays to David Duong that he told Jones at the dinner: “Last time we talked, we said that … you were not going to get any more money from us until you delivered the deal.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later in the tape, David Duong tells Juarez to instruct Jones “to go to Mexico,” where Evolutionary Homes was purportedly manufacturing its housing units, “to collect.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“If he goes to Mexico, I’m going to kill him. I — he won’t come back alive,” Juarez replies, laughing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107054\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ed Swanson, defense attorney of co-defendant David Duong, cross-examines Cecilia Mendez at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 28, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The city of Oakland never signed a contract with Evolutionary Homes, though Thao and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson both visited the company’s showroom in 2023. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later in the Nov. 6 meeting, Juarez said on the recording that he told Jones: “I know that we should have the city administrator assigned to us, Larry Gallegos, to do this project.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors have alleged that Gallegos was one of the people who Juarez and the Duongs wanted elevated to a director-level position in City Hall. When Thao became mayor, Gallegos was a project manager in the Department of Economic and Workforce Development, but in March 2023, Gallegos was named Interim Deputy Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development after Thao allegedly advocated for his appointment. Earlier in the trial, Thao’s former chief of staff testified that the appointment came as a surprise to her, because she didn’t feel Gallegos was qualified for the job. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a later board meeting on Nov. 28, 2023, the business owners’ patience with Thao appears to be thinning. They say Thao has reportedly expressed that she wants Alameda County to purchase Evolutionary Homes units before the city does, apparently angering Juarez.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I have a long memory, and I’m pretty vengeful,” he said on the tape. “There are consequences to not keeping your end of the bargain, but that’s her decision.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_012_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103401\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_012_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_012_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_012_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A camera partially obscures David Duong as he poses on the red carpet during a private screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He continues, “Just know this: I have a lot of friends, a lot more friends than her … All I’m going to say is she is not a trustworthy person, and she does not keep her word, and that’s enough for people and that’s too bad for Sheng.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">David Duong counters, saying that instead of putting pressure on Thao, they should “help her out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“If you make the deal with me, but now I’m sitting down and find out all kind of [sic] shit that is happening, do I want to keep my deal and then start to create all kinds of problem later on, or big liability later? No,” he said. “You just have to help them where they’re comfortable, where they do it, and without getting them in trouble.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">David Duong goes on to say that they won’t sell housing units to Oakland by forcing Thao’s hand: “It’s not because I promise you so, ‘Yeah, I’m ready, I will go [to] jail for this.’ People don’t promise and just die because they promised.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In another recording from a Jan. 9, 2024, board meeting, David Duong and Juarez also discuss putting Jones’ name and contact information on Evolutionary Homes documents — “because that has to be on record,” David Duong said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12022840\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, leaves the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland, on Jan. 17, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez instructs someone who is not identified to “put Andre [Jones] and put his number” on a proposal for a future meeting with a Santa Clara County supervisor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors earlier this week called to the stand an FBI agent who testified that when agents raided the home Jones shared with Thao in 2024, they found no reference to Evolutionary Homes on Jones’ laptop. His defense attorney(s) have attempted to cast doubt on that assertion, pointing to company presentations that list him as an employee, as well as a note that indicates he was going to get business cards made by the company.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under cross-examination, defense attorneys attempted to poke holes in Mendez’ claim that she recorded the meetings for her own note-taking, pointing out that Huang, purportedly too sick to attend meetings, was present for several of the ones Mendez recorded, and that Mendez never generated any notes based on her tapes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Mendez said she did not tell Juarez that she was recording, defense attorneys repeatedly asked her if and when he knew the tapes existed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They also tried to cast doubt on both Juarez and Mendez’s working relationship and business practices.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While they worked together at Evolutionary Homes, Mendez said Juarez instructed her to write a fraudulent invoice and create an organizational chart for a subsidiary of the company that included names of people who did not currently work there in order to apply for certain permits.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Is it fair to say this document was just a Mario Juarez con to get permits for Evolutionary Homes?” Mark Goldrosen, Jones’ attorney, asked her. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez replied, “Yes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez also testified that in 2019, she was convicted of identity theft, grand theft of more than $100,000 and acting as a real estate agent without a license. Juarez, she said, knew about her convictions and continued to work with her. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez testified under a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12106868/key-witness-in-sheng-thao-corruption-trial-will-be-compelled-to-testify\">statutory immunity and compulsion order\u003c/a>, which required her to answer questions on the witness stand despite planning to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. In exchange, the order grants her statutory immunity, meaning that what she said during her testimony cannot be used against her in any state or federal criminal cases. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, former Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to testify.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Key Witness in Sheng Thao Corruption Trial Will Be Compelled to Testify",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The one-time romantic partner of a government witness at the center of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a>’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> corruption trial will be compelled to testify Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. District Chief Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers on Tuesday signed an order requiring Cecilia Mendez to appear on the witness stand after her attorney said she planned to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to her link to Juarez, Mendez also worked for the housing startup Juarez founded with the Duongs, called Evolutionary Homes, which aimed to turn shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness. Prosecutors have alleged the ex-mayor promised to help the company secure a city contract in exchange for campaign support and a $300,000 no-show job at the company for Thao’s longtime romantic partner, Andre Jones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy, bribery and fraud charges for their alleged participation in that pay-to-play scheme. U.S. attorneys allege Thao also agreed to appoint city staffers to director-level positions at the Duongs’ and Juarez’s request, and extend the city’s contract with their business, California Waste Solutions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to prosecutors, Mendez made audio recordings of Evolutionary Homes board meetings without the other participants’ knowledge, which is illegal under California law. They said they plan to play upwards of 45 minutes of these recordings for the jury, possibly pulling back the curtain on the internal operations of the startup. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez will testify under a statutory immunity and compulsion order, obtained by prosecutors, which requires her to answer questions on the witness stand, despite planning to invoke her Fifth Amendment rights. In exchange, the order grants her statutory immunity, meaning that what she said during her testimony cannot be used against her in any state or federal criminal case in the future. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to questions from the government, Mendez may face tough questions from defense attorneys about her relationship with Juarez and what they’ve characterized as his \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">“decades-long history” of fraud\u003c/a>, as they try to cast more doubt on his credibility. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Defense attorneys said Tuesday that Mendez had previously expressed concerns to prosecutors that she might be sued or retaliated against by the defendants for information she shares on the stand. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Mendez finishes her testimony, former Oakland Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to testify.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The one-time romantic partner of a government witness at the center of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a>’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> corruption trial will be compelled to testify Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>U.S. District Chief Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers on Tuesday signed an order requiring Cecilia Mendez to appear on the witness stand after her attorney said she planned to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>U.S. District Chief Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers on Tuesday signed an order requiring Cecilia Mendez to appear on the witness stand after her attorney said she planned to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In addition to her link to Juarez, Mendez also worked for the housing startup Juarez founded with the Duongs, called Evolutionary Homes, which aimed to turn shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness. Prosecutors have alleged the ex-mayor promised to help the company secure a city contract in exchange for campaign support and a $300,000 no-show job at the company for Thao’s longtime romantic partner, Andre Jones. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao, Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy, bribery and fraud charges for their alleged participation in that pay-to-play scheme. U.S. attorneys allege Thao also agreed to appoint city staffers to director-level positions at the Duongs’ and Juarez’s request, and extend the city’s contract with their business, California Waste Solutions.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to prosecutors, Mendez made audio recordings of Evolutionary Homes board meetings without the other participants’ knowledge, which is illegal under California law. They said they plan to play upwards of 45 minutes of these recordings for the jury, possibly pulling back the curtain on the internal operations of the startup. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mendez will testify under a statutory immunity and compulsion order, obtained by prosecutors, which requires her to answer questions on the witness stand, despite planning to invoke her Fifth Amendment rights. In exchange, the order grants her statutory immunity, meaning that what she said during her testimony cannot be used against her in any state or federal criminal case in the future. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mendez will testify under a statutory immunity and compulsion order, obtained by prosecutors, which requires her to answer questions on the witness stand, despite planning to invoke her Fifth Amendment rights. In exchange, the order grants her statutory immunity, meaning that what she said during her testimony cannot be used against her in any state or federal criminal case in the future. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In addition to questions from the government, Mendez may face tough questions from defense attorneys about her relationship with Juarez and what they’ve characterized as his \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">“decades-long history” of fraud\u003c/a>, as they try to cast more doubt on his credibility. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys said Tuesday that Mendez had previously expressed concerns to prosecutors that she might be sued or retaliated against by the defendants for information she shares on the stand. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After Mendez finishes her testimony, former Oakland Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to testify.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Cecilia Mendez, a former employee of Evolutionary Homes, planned to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The one-time romantic partner of a government witness at the center of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a>’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> corruption trial will be compelled to testify Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. District Chief Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers on Tuesday signed an order requiring Cecilia Mendez to appear on the witness stand after her attorney said she planned to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to her link to Juarez, Mendez also worked for the housing startup Juarez founded with the Duongs, called Evolutionary Homes, which aimed to turn shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness. Prosecutors have alleged the ex-mayor promised to help the company secure a city contract in exchange for campaign support and a $300,000 no-show job at the company for Thao’s longtime romantic partner, Andre Jones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy, bribery and fraud charges for their alleged participation in that pay-to-play scheme. U.S. attorneys allege Thao also agreed to appoint city staffers to director-level positions at the Duongs’ and Juarez’s request, and extend the city’s contract with their business, California Waste Solutions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to prosecutors, Mendez made audio recordings of Evolutionary Homes board meetings without the other participants’ knowledge, which is illegal under California law. They said they plan to play upwards of 45 minutes of these recordings for the jury, possibly pulling back the curtain on the internal operations of the startup. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez will testify under a statutory immunity and compulsion order, obtained by prosecutors, which requires her to answer questions on the witness stand, despite planning to invoke her Fifth Amendment rights. In exchange, the order grants her statutory immunity, meaning that what she said during her testimony cannot be used against her in any state or federal criminal case in the future. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to questions from the government, Mendez may face tough questions from defense attorneys about her relationship with Juarez and what they’ve characterized as his \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">“decades-long history” of fraud\u003c/a>, as they try to cast more doubt on his credibility. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Defense attorneys said Tuesday that Mendez had previously expressed concerns to prosecutors that she might be sued or retaliated against by the defendants for information she shares on the stand. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Mendez finishes her testimony, former Oakland Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to testify.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "california-to-pay-10-million-to-settle-class-action-over-women-gassed-at-chowchilla-prison",
"title": "California Agrees to Pay $10 Million in Class Action Over Women Gassed at Chowchilla Prison",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">California has reached a tentative $10 million agreement to settle a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of incarcerated women at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/central-california-womens-facility\">Central California Women’s Facility\u003c/a> who were held in a crowded dining hall and sprayed with tear gas and pepper spray in 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“There’s no amount of money that can fix what we went through that day,” said Angelina Hernandez, who is no longer in prison. “I have really bad PTSD. It really messed me up in a lot of different ways.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the morning of Aug. 2, 2024, correctional officers at the Chowchilla facility moved more than 150 women to the dining hall to conduct a massive search of their unit, according to the suit, and seize any personal belongings that did not fit in a 6-cubic-foot box. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a8Fb2UwB1c&t=6s\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After hours of being confined to the cafeteria without food, water or access to medication, tensions became heightened. Women shouted at the officers and banged on the tables, according to internal documents obtained by KQED. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officers deployed chemical grenades and pepper spray on the women — first inside the chow hall, and then again after the women were zip-tied and seated in the yard outside. At least one woman named Christina Wind was also beaten by officers with batons. Women suffered injuries ranging from seizures, stroke and loss of eyesight. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the incident, officers were captured on body camera saying things like “Put them down with gas,” and “Fun, fun, fun, baby,” according to internal documents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mass use-of-force event led to the largest corrective action related to a single incident in state history, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Three correctional officers were fired and 31 more received discipline, ranging from reprimands to pay cuts. Several officers are still appealing those actions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under the agreement, $7.45 million would be split among the class members, while $2.5 million would go to their attorneys. Another lawsuit filed on behalf of 13 women who were injured during the incident was settled for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12077737/california-agrees-to-1-9m-settlement-in-prison-use-of-force-case\">$1.9 million in March\u003c/a>, bringing the combined value of the settlements to nearly $12 million.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It was a gross violation of constitutional rights,” said attorney Mark Merin, who represents the women in the class action. “The state obviously recognizes that on some level and is coming forward with substantial compensation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The prison agency has not admitted fault in either suit. CDCR Press Secretary Terri Hardy said in an email that the agency cannot comment on active litigation, but that the department “continues its commitment to safe and constitutional operations at all institutions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104812/put-them-down-with-gas-kqed-investigation-finds-abuse-and-retaliation-at-chowchilla-prison\">KQED investigation found\u003c/a> the mass use-of-force incident was carried out amid a striking rise in sexual assault complaints —known as Prison Rape Elimination Act complaints — at the prison. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Five women told KQED they believed the incident was intended to stop the flood of PREA complaints. But those allegations of retaliation were not looked into by the agency, according to documents obtained by KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-23-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090738\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-23-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-23-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-23-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Officers lead an incarcerated woman through a Receiving and Release (R&R) yard at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, California, on June 30, 2026. The prison is the largest women’s correctional facility in California, and the R&R yard is used to process incarcerated people entering and leaving the facility. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hardy wrote that CDCR “has implemented significant reforms to strengthen investigative processes, enhance facility oversight, expand fixed and Body Worn camera coverage, and improve PREA reporting pathways.” And she said the agency “is fully committed” to supporting sexual assault victims. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last month, the CCWF warden \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100922/warden-of-californias-largest-womens-prison-reassigned-amid-scrutiny-over-sexual-abuse\">was transferred and demoted\u003c/a>, amid a new investigation into sexual abuse by officers at the prison. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A judge is set to review the settlement agreement on Dec. 4. If it is approved, claim forms and notices will be mailed to the 142 women represented in the lawsuit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I feel like [CDCR] should do a lot more,” Hernandez said. “I feel like all those officers [involved in Aug. 2] should be walked off.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On the morning of Aug. 2, 2024, correctional officers at the Chowchilla facility moved more than 150 women to the dining hall to conduct a massive search of their unit, according to the suit, and seize any personal belongings that did not fit in a 6-cubic-foot box. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The mass use-of-force event led to the largest corrective action related to a single incident in state history, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Three correctional officers were fired and 31 more received discipline, ranging from reprimands to pay cuts. Several officers are still appealing those actions. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under the agreement, $7.45 million would be split among the class members, while $2.5 million would go to their attorneys. Another lawsuit filed on behalf of 13 women who were injured during the incident was settled for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12077737/california-agrees-to-1-9m-settlement-in-prison-use-of-force-case\">$1.9 million in March\u003c/a>, bringing the combined value of the settlements to nearly $12 million.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Under the agreement, $7.45 million would be split among the class members, while $2.5 million would go to their attorneys. Another lawsuit filed on behalf of 13 women who were injured during the incident was settled for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12077737/california-agrees-to-1-9m-settlement-in-prison-use-of-force-case\">$1.9 million in March\u003c/a>, bringing the combined value of the settlements to nearly $12 million.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It was a gross violation of constitutional rights,” said attorney Mark Merin, who represents the women in the class action. “The state obviously recognizes that on some level and is coming forward with substantial compensation.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The prison agency has not admitted fault in either suit. CDCR Press Secretary Terri Hardy said in an email that the agency cannot comment on active litigation, but that the department “continues its commitment to safe and constitutional operations at all institutions.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104812/put-them-down-with-gas-kqed-investigation-finds-abuse-and-retaliation-at-chowchilla-prison\">KQED investigation found\u003c/a> the mass use-of-force incident was carried out amid a striking rise in sexual assault complaints —known as Prison Rape Elimination Act complaints — at the prison. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last month, the CCWF warden \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100922/warden-of-californias-largest-womens-prison-reassigned-amid-scrutiny-over-sexual-abuse\">was transferred and demoted\u003c/a>, amid a new investigation into sexual abuse by officers at the prison. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A judge is set to review the settlement agreement on Dec. 4. If it is approved, claim forms and notices will be mailed to the 142 women represented in the lawsuit.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I feel like [CDCR] should do a lot more,” Hernandez said. “I feel like all those officers [involved in Aug. 2] should be walked off.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I feel like [CDCR] should do a lot more,” Hernandez said. “I feel like all those officers [involved in Aug. 2] should be walked off.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "The operation at the Central California Women’s Facility resulted in the largest corrective action related to a single incident in state history.",
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"title": "California Agrees to Pay $10 Million in Class Action Over Women Gassed at Chowchilla Prison | KQED",
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"headline": "California Agrees to Pay $10 Million in Class Action Over Women Gassed at Chowchilla Prison",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">California has reached a tentative $10 million agreement to settle a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of incarcerated women at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/central-california-womens-facility\">Central California Women’s Facility\u003c/a> who were held in a crowded dining hall and sprayed with tear gas and pepper spray in 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“There’s no amount of money that can fix what we went through that day,” said Angelina Hernandez, who is no longer in prison. “I have really bad PTSD. It really messed me up in a lot of different ways.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the morning of Aug. 2, 2024, correctional officers at the Chowchilla facility moved more than 150 women to the dining hall to conduct a massive search of their unit, according to the suit, and seize any personal belongings that did not fit in a 6-cubic-foot box. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/-a8Fb2UwB1c'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/-a8Fb2UwB1c'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After hours of being confined to the cafeteria without food, water or access to medication, tensions became heightened. Women shouted at the officers and banged on the tables, according to internal documents obtained by KQED. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officers deployed chemical grenades and pepper spray on the women — first inside the chow hall, and then again after the women were zip-tied and seated in the yard outside. At least one woman named Christina Wind was also beaten by officers with batons. Women suffered injuries ranging from seizures, stroke and loss of eyesight. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the incident, officers were captured on body camera saying things like “Put them down with gas,” and “Fun, fun, fun, baby,” according to internal documents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mass use-of-force event led to the largest corrective action related to a single incident in state history, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Three correctional officers were fired and 31 more received discipline, ranging from reprimands to pay cuts. Several officers are still appealing those actions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under the agreement, $7.45 million would be split among the class members, while $2.5 million would go to their attorneys. Another lawsuit filed on behalf of 13 women who were injured during the incident was settled for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12077737/california-agrees-to-1-9m-settlement-in-prison-use-of-force-case\">$1.9 million in March\u003c/a>, bringing the combined value of the settlements to nearly $12 million.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It was a gross violation of constitutional rights,” said attorney Mark Merin, who represents the women in the class action. “The state obviously recognizes that on some level and is coming forward with substantial compensation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The prison agency has not admitted fault in either suit. CDCR Press Secretary Terri Hardy said in an email that the agency cannot comment on active litigation, but that the department “continues its commitment to safe and constitutional operations at all institutions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104812/put-them-down-with-gas-kqed-investigation-finds-abuse-and-retaliation-at-chowchilla-prison\">KQED investigation found\u003c/a> the mass use-of-force incident was carried out amid a striking rise in sexual assault complaints —known as Prison Rape Elimination Act complaints — at the prison. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Five women told KQED they believed the incident was intended to stop the flood of PREA complaints. But those allegations of retaliation were not looked into by the agency, according to documents obtained by KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-23-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090738\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-23-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-23-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-23-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Officers lead an incarcerated woman through a Receiving and Release (R&R) yard at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, California, on June 30, 2026. The prison is the largest women’s correctional facility in California, and the R&R yard is used to process incarcerated people entering and leaving the facility. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hardy wrote that CDCR “has implemented significant reforms to strengthen investigative processes, enhance facility oversight, expand fixed and Body Worn camera coverage, and improve PREA reporting pathways.” And she said the agency “is fully committed” to supporting sexual assault victims. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last month, the CCWF warden \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100922/warden-of-californias-largest-womens-prison-reassigned-amid-scrutiny-over-sexual-abuse\">was transferred and demoted\u003c/a>, amid a new investigation into sexual abuse by officers at the prison. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A judge is set to review the settlement agreement on Dec. 4. If it is approved, claim forms and notices will be mailed to the 142 women represented in the lawsuit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I feel like [CDCR] should do a lot more,” Hernandez said. “I feel like all those officers [involved in Aug. 2] should be walked off.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "i-know-what-they-do-911-calls-were-key-turning-point-in-oakland-corruption-investigation",
"title": "Exclusive: How a Brawl, 911 Calls Turned a Co-Conspirator Into a Government Witness in Thao Trial",
"publishDate": 1793131149,
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"headTitle": "Exclusive: How a Brawl, 911 Calls Turned a Co-Conspirator Into a Government Witness in Thao Trial | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two 911 calls in May 2024 tipped off federal agents to a key development in an ongoing public corruption investigation that has since become the subject of a major federal criminal trial involving \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a>’s former mayor, Sheng Thao. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mario Juarez, a businessman and political operative, called police twice — on May 3, 2024, and again the following day — to report he had been assaulted at the Oakland waterfront offices of California Waste Solutions, the city’s recycling contractor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A group of 10 men had beaten him up, he said, and the owners of the company brought those men together.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It involves a crime of, high crime of racketeering and organized crime,” he said. “And it may involve police officers.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KQED obtained those calls through a public records request.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last week in a federal courtroom in Oakland, FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay said Juarez’s allegations against both the Duongs and police prompted the agency to contact him, setting in motion a series of events that would ultimately lead to the indictment of Thao and three others. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>[audio src=\"https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/4442983a-32e8-46c8-a850-b4ea01176a2f/audio.mp3\" Image=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg\" Title=\"Mario Juarez's First Call to Oakland Police, Edited to Redact Juarez's Home Address\"]\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her longtime partner Andre Jones, and David and Andy Duong, whose family owns California Waste Solutions, are facing charges of bribery, conspiracy and honest services mail and wire fraud in a federal corruption trial that kicked off this month. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors have described a pay-to-play scheme involving promises of preferential treatment for the Duongs’ businesses, a no-show job and negative campaign mailers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All four defendants have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In her testimony, Barclay said the FBI had been investigating a potential bribery scheme involving Juarez and the defendants for months when, in May 2024, the agency received information that was significant to its investigation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“[Oakland police] brought information to our attention that Juarez had made allegations against the Duong family and [the department] itself,” Barclay said. “Because of some of the allegations about OPD, they brought it to our attention.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once the FBI received that information, Barclay said, agents approached Juarez for an interview.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It was apparent that he was making allegations of corruption relating to the Duong family,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"alignleft size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1878\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106496\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-scaled.jpg 1878w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-2000x2727.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-160x218.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-1127x1536.jpg 1127w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-1502x2048.jpg 1502w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1878px) 100vw, 1878px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mario Juarez, a cooperating witness for the government, sits on the sidewalk outside the California Waste Solutions’ Oakland waterfront office with a blanket over him as ambulance sits parked nearby, May 3, 2024. The photo was seized from Andy Duong’s cell phone. (Courtesy of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay said agents were concerned that if that information got back to the Duongs, they might take steps to destroy evidence. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez sat down for his first interview with the FBI about a month after he called 911 to report the alleged assault and has since become a cooperating witness in the federal corruption case. He has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In July 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25020077-july-10-2024-subpoena/\">subpoenaed the city of Oakland\u003c/a>, requesting internal Oakland Police Department phone number directories and lists from March to July that year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It also requested any police reports made by or involving members of the Duong family, including Andy Duong, David Duong, Kristina Duong and Johnny Duong, from April to July. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Asked about the 911 calls, a spokesperson for the Oakland Police Department said department personnel brought the allegations to the FBI and investigated the matters that fell within its own administrative authority. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The spokesperson declined to say what happened as a result of the investigation, or if any OPD personnel were charged or disciplined, citing a state law prohibiting the disclosure of most police personnel records. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The Oakland Police Department takes allegations of misconduct by its members seriously,” the spokesperson said. “The department shared the information with the FBI, has cooperated with federal authorities since then, and continues to do so.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The spokesperson said, “Because Mr. Juarez is a witness in an ongoing federal criminal trial, the department will not comment on the substance of his statements.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FBI spokesperson Cameron Polan said the agency cannot comment on the case at this time. Neither the U.S. Attorney’s Office nor the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office responded to KQED’s questions about the calls or whether any officers have been charged. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104321\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, left, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Defense attorneys have called into question Juarez’s credibility and what they’ve described as his “decades-long history” of fraud. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In court records filed in the lead-up to the trial, defense attorneys said Juarez had been sued approximately 33 times between 1992 and 2022, including numerous fraud cases involving former business partners. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They described a documented “counter-attack” history, including instances in which they say Juarez alleged misconduct by others in response to accusations or lawsuits lodged against him. Juarez, they said, “has repeatedly falsely accused business partners of crimes and other wrongdoing in efforts to escape liability for his own actions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An attorney for Andy Duong declined to comment on Juarez’s allegations in the 911 calls. Lawyers for David Duong and Doug Straus with Buchalter Law Firm, an attorney for California Waste Solutions, did not respond to KQED’s requests for comment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘For your records when you get subpoenaed’ \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The day that Juarez called 911 marked a breaking point in his yearslong relationship with the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the fall of 2022, Juarez and the Duongs had gone into business together on Evolutionary Homes — a company that aimed to convert shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness and market them to Bay Area cities and counties looking to address the crisis. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors allege that Thao agreed to commit the city of Oakland to purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, in addition to other favors, as part of the alleged bribery scheme.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103338\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home development for people who are exiting homelessness. (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But in the spring of 2024, prosecutors say the relationship between the Duongs and Juarez began to deteriorate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That year, Andy Duong told an Alameda County District Attorney’s Office inspector that he and his father had invested $800,000 into a business venture with Juarez but ultimately fell victim to what they considered to be theft of their investment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez, they said, was supposed to deliver 50 container homes but had only produced two of them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Over the course of their involvement with him, Juarez continued to ask for more and more money for the project without being able to provide them receipts, etc.,” a July 2024 search warrant affidavit read, continuing, “the Duongs, now allegedly into the project for slightly over $1,000,000, decided to walk away from doing business with Juarez.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“When asked why deliveries were not being made, Juarez would make excuses about being close, or that worker or material costs [were] slowing things down,” Andy Duong told the inspector. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104322\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong, son of California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a court filing, prosecutors say Juarez became frustrated by the Duongs not reimbursing him for what he said he had already spent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By late April, the tension in their relationship reached a breaking point. Juarez, prosecutors say, asked to dissolve the partnership, and the Duongs threatened legal action based on loans they had given Juarez.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In response, they say, Juarez threatened to go to law enforcement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an email on April 24, 2024, to David Duong, Andy Duong and others, Juarez said he was writing “for your records when you get subpoenaed by the FBI, City Attorneys, FPPC, and others,” the filing read.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘I want my money’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez and the Duongs disagree about what happened next. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to prosecutors, on May 3, 2024, Juarez arrived at the Evolutionary Homes office and discovered he had been locked out. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an audio recording of the confrontation that followed, which was admitted as evidence in the trial on Friday, Juarez can be heard saying, “I want my money,” to which David Duong responded, “We want our $800,000 back.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1774\" height=\"1182\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/chain-watch_brightened-ec47ed5f.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106136\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/chain-watch_brightened-ec47ed5f.jpg 1774w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/chain-watch_brightened-ec47ed5f-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/chain-watch_brightened-ec47ed5f-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1774px) 100vw, 1774px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Prosecutors say they found a gold chain and watch in Andy Duong’s garage that Mario Juarez identified as belonging to him. Juarez, Andy Duong and David Duong had gone into business together on Evolutionary Homes, a housing startup that’s at the center of an alleged bribery scheme involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, before the two had a falling out in the spring of 2024. (Courtesy of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez can be heard insisting that he needs to get inside the office, while other people, including David Duong, offer to help get his stuff out. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The “business is gone,” David Duong can be heard saying. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Have you closed the business?” Juarez asks. “Yeah,” David Duong responded. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Asst. U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine told the jury in the government’s opening statement that Andy Duong recorded the exchange.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“When Juarez refused to leave, Duong turned off the recorder,” Fine said. “Some people showed up and beat up Juarez. They beat him, punched him.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And, Fine said, they took a watch and chain that Juarez “had worn for years.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That same day, Juarez called 911. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I am reporting a felony assault,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>[audio src=\"https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/522b4b8d-24fe-424a-b720-b4ea01176a2d/audio.mp3\" Image=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250702-OAKLAND-POLICE-DEPARTMENT-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" Title=\"Mario Juarez's Second Call to Oakland Police, Edited to Redact Juarez's Home Address\"]\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They assaulted me this afternoon, and I just got home,” he told the dispatcher. “It was about ten people.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said that the assault was “organized by Johnny Duong,” David Duong’s son and California Waste Solutions’ chief operating officer. Johnny Duong declined to comment on the allegations. A review of Alameda County and federal court records by KQED found no criminal charges against Johnny Duong related to the alleged assault. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The next day, when officers apparently still hadn’t responded, Juarez called 911 again. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Ma’am, I need to report a crime that I was a victim of,” Juarez said, explaining that he had just woken up from a beating the day before. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I got stomped in the head by ten people that were sent together by the owners of California Waste Solutions, which is the city of Oakland waste management contract,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez asked for a sergeant to respond, because the owners of the company “have tremendous influence with the police, with patrol officers,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The dispatcher asked Juarez for the name of the company again. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez reiterated, “California Waste Solutions.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Because I know them,” Juarez said. “I know what they do. I know how they racketeer. I know how they launder money.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I know how they \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/08/01/fbi-raids-oakland-police-chinatown/\">donate drones\u003c/a> to the police department,” Juarez said. “I know how they have police officers right now in their offices during their break, right now, today, right now. You have a patrol at 1211 Embarcadero on the third floor and saying that he’s at Starbucks. Do you see? Do you not have a patrol officer at 1211 Embarcadero?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’m just trying to give you an idea of something that is so powerful that perhaps, you know …” he trailed off. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KQED has not substantiated Juarez’s allegations against Oakland police. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Andy Duong told the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office inspector a different account of the events that day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his version, Juarez showed up at California Waste Solutions on May 3, 2024, and confronted him and his father, claiming they still owed him money he needed to pay his workers in Mexico, where the company was purportedly building homes out of shipping containers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the search warrant affidavit authored by the inspector, Andy Duong alleged Juarez “held them for hours demanding money.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1998\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_016_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098818\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_016_qed.jpg 1998w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_016_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_016_qed-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1998px) 100vw, 1998px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The California Waste Solutions headquarters at 1211 Embarcadero in Oakland on Sept. 8, 2026. The company provides curbside recycling service in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They feared for their safety because he is known to carry weapons,” the affidavit read. “Juarez ultimately left without receiving any further money from the Duongs.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors on Friday showed a photo taken that day outside California Waste Solutions’ office, which was seized from Andy Duong’s phone. In the photo, Juarez can be seen sitting on the ground covered with a blanket while several people stand around him. An ambulance and stretcher are parked nearby. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Winston Chan, one of Andy Duong’s attorneys, told jurors in his opening statement that Juarez showed up that day agitated and armed with a gun. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chan said someone outside the Duong family punched Juarez in the face. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What happened was, yes, an altercation,” Chan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’m not going to say that afternoon was handled well,” he said. “But this was the farthest thing from a preplanned ambush.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Court records show an Oakland police officer is expected to testify about his interactions with Andy Duong, David Duong and his sister Kristina Duong, chief financial officer at California Waste Solutions, on the day Juarez placed the second 911 call, as well as a police report he authored documenting the Duongs’ descriptions of the confrontation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a recent court filing, prosecutors said surveillance footage from the recycling company’s headquarters on May 3, 2024, doesn’t exist. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez previously told the FBI he had seen members of the Duong family delete footage from the security system.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Evidence that Juarez previously observed the deletion of footage from the surveillance system therefore is relevant to the jury’s assessment of why no corresponding footage exists for May 3, 2024,” the filing read. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When Juarez went to the police, it marked the first time he talked to law enforcement about the Duongs, Fine said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About a month later, on June 6, 2024, Juarez sat down with the FBI for an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two weeks after that, the FBI executed search warrants at Thao, Jones and David and Andy Duong’s homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the search of Andy Duong’s residence, Fine said agents discovered a watch and chain that Juarez identified as items stolen from him during the altercation with the Duongs. They were in a paper bag, Fine said, inside Andy Duong’s garage.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mario Juarez, a businessman and political operative, called police twice — on May 3, 2024, and again the following day — to report he had been assaulted at the Oakland waterfront offices of California Waste Solutions, the city’s recycling contractor.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mario Juarez, a businessman and political operative, called police twice — on May 3, 2024, and again the following day — to report he had been assaulted at the Oakland waterfront offices of California Waste Solutions, the city’s recycling contractor.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A group of 10 men had beaten him up, he said, and the owners of the company brought those men together.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It involves a crime of, high crime of racketeering and organized crime,” he said. “And it may involve police officers.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It involves a crime of, high crime of racketeering and organized crime,” he said. “And it may involve police officers.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>KQED obtained those calls through a public records request.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last week in a federal courtroom in Oakland, FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay said Juarez’s allegations against both the Duongs and police prompted the agency to contact him, setting in motion a series of events that would ultimately lead to the indictment of Thao and three others. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Last week in a federal courtroom in Oakland, FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay said Juarez’s allegations against both the Duongs and police prompted the agency to contact him, setting in motion a series of events that would ultimately lead to the indictment of Thao and three others. \u003c/p>\n"
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"title": "Mario Juarez's First Call to Oakland Police, Edited to Redact Juarez's Home Address"
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"innerHTML": "\n[audio src=\"https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/4442983a-32e8-46c8-a850-b4ea01176a2f/audio.mp3\" Image=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg\" Title=\"Mario Juarez's First Call to Oakland Police, Edited to Redact Juarez's Home Address\"]\n",
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"\n[audio src=\"https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/4442983a-32e8-46c8-a850-b4ea01176a2f/audio.mp3\" Image=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg\" Title=\"Mario Juarez's First Call to Oakland Police, Edited to Redact Juarez's Home Address\"]\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao, her longtime partner Andre Jones, and David and Andy Duong, whose family owns California Waste Solutions, are facing charges of bribery, conspiracy and honest services mail and wire fraud in a federal corruption trial that kicked off this month. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao, her longtime partner Andre Jones, and David and Andy Duong, whose family owns California Waste Solutions, are facing charges of bribery, conspiracy and honest services mail and wire fraud in a federal corruption trial that kicked off this month. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have described a pay-to-play scheme involving promises of preferential treatment for the Duongs’ businesses, a no-show job and negative campaign mailers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have described a pay-to-play scheme involving promises of preferential treatment for the Duongs’ businesses, a no-show job and negative campaign mailers. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>All four defendants have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In her testimony, Barclay said the FBI had been investigating a potential bribery scheme involving Juarez and the defendants for months when, in May 2024, the agency received information that was significant to its investigation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In her testimony, Barclay said the FBI had been investigating a potential bribery scheme involving Juarez and the defendants for months when, in May 2024, the agency received information that was significant to its investigation. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[Oakland police] brought information to our attention that Juarez had made allegations against the Duong family and [the department] itself,” Barclay said. “Because of some of the allegations about OPD, they brought it to our attention.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“[Oakland police] brought information to our attention that Juarez had made allegations against the Duong family and [the department] itself,” Barclay said. “Because of some of the allegations about OPD, they brought it to our attention.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Once the FBI received that information, Barclay said, agents approached Juarez for an interview.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It was apparent that he was making allegations of corruption relating to the Duong family,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106496\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-scaled.jpg 1878w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-2000x2727.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-160x218.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-1127x1536.jpg 1127w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-1502x2048.jpg 1502w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mario Juarez, a cooperating witness for the government, sits on the sidewalk outside the California Waste Solutions’ Oakland waterfront office with a blanket over him as ambulance sits parked nearby, May 3, 2024. The photo was seized from Andy Duong’s cell phone.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106496\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mario Juarez, a cooperating witness for the government, sits on the sidewalk outside the California Waste Solutions’ Oakland waterfront office with a blanket over him as ambulance sits parked nearby, May 3, 2024. The photo was seized from Andy Duong’s cell phone.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay said agents were concerned that if that information got back to the Duongs, they might take steps to destroy evidence. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez sat down for his first interview with the FBI about a month after he called 911 to report the alleged assault and has since become a cooperating witness in the federal corruption case. He has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In July 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25020077-july-10-2024-subpoena/\">subpoenaed the city of Oakland\u003c/a>, requesting internal Oakland Police Department phone number directories and lists from March to July that year. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In July 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25020077-july-10-2024-subpoena/\">subpoenaed the city of Oakland\u003c/a>, requesting internal Oakland Police Department phone number directories and lists from March to July that year. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It also requested any police reports made by or involving members of the Duong family, including Andy Duong, David Duong, Kristina Duong and Johnny Duong, from April to July. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It also requested any police reports made by or involving members of the Duong family, including Andy Duong, David Duong, Kristina Duong and Johnny Duong, from April to July. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Asked about the 911 calls, a spokesperson for the Oakland Police Department said department personnel brought the allegations to the FBI and investigated the matters that fell within its own administrative authority. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The spokesperson declined to say what happened as a result of the investigation, or if any OPD personnel were charged or disciplined, citing a state law prohibiting the disclosure of most police personnel records. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The Oakland Police Department takes allegations of misconduct by its members seriously,” the spokesperson said. “The department shared the information with the FBI, has cooperated with federal authorities since then, and continues to do so.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The Oakland Police Department takes allegations of misconduct by its members seriously,” the spokesperson said. “The department shared the information with the FBI, has cooperated with federal authorities since then, and continues to do so.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The spokesperson said, “Because Mr. Juarez is a witness in an ongoing federal criminal trial, the department will not comment on the substance of his statements.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>FBI spokesperson Cameron Polan said the agency cannot comment on the case at this time. Neither the U.S. Attorney’s Office nor the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office responded to KQED’s questions about the calls or whether any officers have been charged. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>FBI spokesperson Cameron Polan said the agency cannot comment on the case at this time. Neither the U.S. Attorney’s Office nor the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office responded to KQED’s questions about the calls or whether any officers have been charged. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104321\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, left, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104321\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, left, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys have called into question Juarez’s credibility and what they’ve described as his “decades-long history” of fraud. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys have called into question Juarez’s credibility and what they’ve described as his “decades-long history” of fraud. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In court records filed in the lead-up to the trial, defense attorneys said Juarez had been sued approximately 33 times between 1992 and 2022, including numerous fraud cases involving former business partners. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They described a documented “counter-attack” history, including instances in which they say Juarez alleged misconduct by others in response to accusations or lawsuits lodged against him. Juarez, they said, “has repeatedly falsely accused business partners of crimes and other wrongdoing in efforts to escape liability for his own actions.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>They described a documented “counter-attack” history, including instances in which they say Juarez alleged misconduct by others in response to accusations or lawsuits lodged against him. Juarez, they said, “has repeatedly falsely accused business partners of crimes and other wrongdoing in efforts to escape liability for his own actions.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>An attorney for Andy Duong declined to comment on Juarez’s allegations in the 911 calls. Lawyers for David Duong and Doug Straus with Buchalter Law Firm, an attorney for California Waste Solutions, did not respond to KQED’s requests for comment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>An attorney for Andy Duong declined to comment on Juarez’s allegations in the 911 calls. Lawyers for David Duong and Doug Straus with Buchalter Law Firm, an attorney for California Waste Solutions, did not respond to KQED’s requests for comment. \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "‘For your records when you get subpoenaed’ ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘For your records when you get subpoenaed’ \u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘For your records when you get subpoenaed’ \u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The day that Juarez called 911 marked a breaking point in his yearslong relationship with the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The day that Juarez called 911 marked a breaking point in his yearslong relationship with the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the fall of 2022, Juarez and the Duongs had gone into business together on Evolutionary Homes — a company that aimed to convert shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness and market them to Bay Area cities and counties looking to address the crisis. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the fall of 2022, Juarez and the Duongs had gone into business together on Evolutionary Homes — a company that aimed to convert shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness and market them to Bay Area cities and counties looking to address the crisis. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege that Thao agreed to commit the city of Oakland to purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, in addition to other favors, as part of the alleged bribery scheme.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege that Thao agreed to commit the city of Oakland to purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, in addition to other favors, as part of the alleged bribery scheme.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103338\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home development for people who are exiting homelessness. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103338\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home development for people who are exiting homelessness. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But in the spring of 2024, prosecutors say the relationship between the Duongs and Juarez began to deteriorate. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That year, Andy Duong told an Alameda County District Attorney’s Office inspector that he and his father had invested $800,000 into a business venture with Juarez but ultimately fell victim to what they considered to be theft of their investment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That year, Andy Duong told an Alameda County District Attorney’s Office inspector that he and his father had invested $800,000 into a business venture with Juarez but ultimately fell victim to what they considered to be theft of their investment. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez, they said, was supposed to deliver 50 container homes but had only produced two of them. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Juarez, they said, was supposed to deliver 50 container homes but had only produced two of them. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Over the course of their involvement with him, Juarez continued to ask for more and more money for the project without being able to provide them receipts, etc.,” a July 2024 search warrant affidavit read, continuing, “the Duongs, now allegedly into the project for slightly over $1,000,000, decided to walk away from doing business with Juarez.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Over the course of their involvement with him, Juarez continued to ask for more and more money for the project without being able to provide them receipts, etc.,” a July 2024 search warrant affidavit read, continuing, “the Duongs, now allegedly into the project for slightly over $1,000,000, decided to walk away from doing business with Juarez.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When asked why deliveries were not being made, Juarez would make excuses about being close, or that worker or material costs [were] slowing things down,” Andy Duong told the inspector. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“When asked why deliveries were not being made, Juarez would make excuses about being close, or that worker or material costs [were] slowing things down,” Andy Duong told the inspector. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104322\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong, son of California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a court filing, prosecutors say Juarez became frustrated by the Duongs not reimbursing him for what he said he had already spent.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Have you closed the business?” Juarez asks. “Yeah,” David Duong responded. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When Juarez refused to leave, Duong turned off the recorder,” Fine said. “Some people showed up and beat up Juarez. They beat him, punched him.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I am reporting a felony assault,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They assaulted me this afternoon, and I just got home,” he told the dispatcher. “It was about ten people.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez said that the assault was “organized by Johnny Duong,” David Duong’s son and California Waste Solutions’ chief operating officer. Johnny Duong declined to comment on the allegations. A review of Alameda County and federal court records by KQED found no criminal charges against Johnny Duong related to the alleged assault. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The next day, when officers apparently still hadn’t responded, Juarez called 911 again. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Ma’am, I need to report a crime that I was a victim of,” Juarez said, explaining that he had just woken up from a beating the day before. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I got stomped in the head by ten people that were sent together by the owners of California Waste Solutions, which is the city of Oakland waste management contract,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez asked for a sergeant to respond, because the owners of the company “have tremendous influence with the police, with patrol officers,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez reiterated, “California Waste Solutions.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Because I know them,” Juarez said. “I know what they do. I know how they racketeer. I know how they launder money.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I know how they \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/08/01/fbi-raids-oakland-police-chinatown/\">donate drones\u003c/a> to the police department,” Juarez said. “I know how they have police officers right now in their offices during their break, right now, today, right now. You have a patrol at 1211 Embarcadero on the third floor and saying that he’s at Starbucks. Do you see? Do you not have a patrol officer at 1211 Embarcadero?” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I know how they \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/08/01/fbi-raids-oakland-police-chinatown/\">donate drones\u003c/a> to the police department,” Juarez said. “I know how they have police officers right now in their offices during their break, right now, today, right now. You have a patrol at 1211 Embarcadero on the third floor and saying that he’s at Starbucks. Do you see? Do you not have a patrol officer at 1211 Embarcadero?” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m just trying to give you an idea of something that is so powerful that perhaps, you know …” he trailed off. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>KQED has not substantiated Juarez’s allegations against Oakland police. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Andy Duong told the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office inspector a different account of the events that day. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In his version, Juarez showed up at California Waste Solutions on May 3, 2024, and confronted him and his father, claiming they still owed him money he needed to pay his workers in Mexico, where the company was purportedly building homes out of shipping containers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In his version, Juarez showed up at California Waste Solutions on May 3, 2024, and confronted him and his father, claiming they still owed him money he needed to pay his workers in Mexico, where the company was purportedly building homes out of shipping containers. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to the search warrant affidavit authored by the inspector, Andy Duong alleged Juarez “held them for hours demanding money.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_016_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098818\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_016_qed.jpg 1998w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_016_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_016_qed-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The California Waste Solutions headquarters at 1211 Embarcadero in Oakland on Sept. 8, 2026. The company provides curbside recycling service in Oakland.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They feared for their safety because he is known to carry weapons,” the affidavit read. “Juarez ultimately left without receiving any further money from the Duongs.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“They feared for their safety because he is known to carry weapons,” the affidavit read. “Juarez ultimately left without receiving any further money from the Duongs.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors on Friday showed a photo taken that day outside California Waste Solutions’ office, which was seized from Andy Duong’s phone. In the photo, Juarez can be seen sitting on the ground covered with a blanket while several people stand around him. An ambulance and stretcher are parked nearby. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors on Friday showed a photo taken that day outside California Waste Solutions’ office, which was seized from Andy Duong’s phone. In the photo, Juarez can be seen sitting on the ground covered with a blanket while several people stand around him. An ambulance and stretcher are parked nearby. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Winston Chan, one of Andy Duong’s attorneys, told jurors in his opening statement that Juarez showed up that day agitated and armed with a gun. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chan said someone outside the Duong family punched Juarez in the face. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What happened was, yes, an altercation,” Chan said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m not going to say that afternoon was handled well,” he said. “But this was the farthest thing from a preplanned ambush.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Court records show an Oakland police officer is expected to testify about his interactions with Andy Duong, David Duong and his sister Kristina Duong, chief financial officer at California Waste Solutions, on the day Juarez placed the second 911 call, as well as a police report he authored documenting the Duongs’ descriptions of the confrontation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Court records show an Oakland police officer is expected to testify about his interactions with Andy Duong, David Duong and his sister Kristina Duong, chief financial officer at California Waste Solutions, on the day Juarez placed the second 911 call, as well as a police report he authored documenting the Duongs’ descriptions of the confrontation. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a recent court filing, prosecutors said surveillance footage from the recycling company’s headquarters on May 3, 2024, doesn’t exist. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a recent court filing, prosecutors said surveillance footage from the recycling company’s headquarters on May 3, 2024, doesn’t exist. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez previously told the FBI he had seen members of the Duong family delete footage from the security system.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Evidence that Juarez previously observed the deletion of footage from the surveillance system therefore is relevant to the jury’s assessment of why no corresponding footage exists for May 3, 2024,” the filing read. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Evidence that Juarez previously observed the deletion of footage from the surveillance system therefore is relevant to the jury’s assessment of why no corresponding footage exists for May 3, 2024,” the filing read. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When Juarez went to the police, it marked the first time he talked to law enforcement about the Duongs, Fine said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>About a month later, on June 6, 2024, Juarez sat down with the FBI for an interview. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Two weeks after that, the FBI executed search warrants at Thao, Jones and David and Andy Duong’s homes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During the search of Andy Duong’s residence, Fine said agents discovered a watch and chain that Juarez identified as items stolen from him during the altercation with the Duongs. They were in a paper bag, Fine said, inside Andy Duong’s garage.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Two 911 calls from May 2024 furthered the FBI’s investigation into alleged public corruption that’s now the subject of a federal trial involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao.\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two 911 calls in May 2024 tipped off federal agents to a key development in an ongoing public corruption investigation that has since become the subject of a major federal criminal trial involving \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a>’s former mayor, Sheng Thao. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mario Juarez, a businessman and political operative, called police twice — on May 3, 2024, and again the following day — to report he had been assaulted at the Oakland waterfront offices of California Waste Solutions, the city’s recycling contractor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A group of 10 men had beaten him up, he said, and the owners of the company brought those men together.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It involves a crime of, high crime of racketeering and organized crime,” he said. “And it may involve police officers.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KQED obtained those calls through a public records request.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last week in a federal courtroom in Oakland, FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay said Juarez’s allegations against both the Duongs and police prompted the agency to contact him, setting in motion a series of events that would ultimately lead to the indictment of Thao and three others. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her longtime partner Andre Jones, and David and Andy Duong, whose family owns California Waste Solutions, are facing charges of bribery, conspiracy and honest services mail and wire fraud in a federal corruption trial that kicked off this month. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors have described a pay-to-play scheme involving promises of preferential treatment for the Duongs’ businesses, a no-show job and negative campaign mailers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All four defendants have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In her testimony, Barclay said the FBI had been investigating a potential bribery scheme involving Juarez and the defendants for months when, in May 2024, the agency received information that was significant to its investigation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“[Oakland police] brought information to our attention that Juarez had made allegations against the Duong family and [the department] itself,” Barclay said. “Because of some of the allegations about OPD, they brought it to our attention.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once the FBI received that information, Barclay said, agents approached Juarez for an interview.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It was apparent that he was making allegations of corruption relating to the Duong family,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"alignleft size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1878\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106496\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-scaled.jpg 1878w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-2000x2727.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-160x218.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-1127x1536.jpg 1127w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-1502x2048.jpg 1502w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1878px) 100vw, 1878px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mario Juarez, a cooperating witness for the government, sits on the sidewalk outside the California Waste Solutions’ Oakland waterfront office with a blanket over him as ambulance sits parked nearby, May 3, 2024. The photo was seized from Andy Duong’s cell phone. (Courtesy of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay said agents were concerned that if that information got back to the Duongs, they might take steps to destroy evidence. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez sat down for his first interview with the FBI about a month after he called 911 to report the alleged assault and has since become a cooperating witness in the federal corruption case. He has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In July 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25020077-july-10-2024-subpoena/\">subpoenaed the city of Oakland\u003c/a>, requesting internal Oakland Police Department phone number directories and lists from March to July that year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It also requested any police reports made by or involving members of the Duong family, including Andy Duong, David Duong, Kristina Duong and Johnny Duong, from April to July. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Asked about the 911 calls, a spokesperson for the Oakland Police Department said department personnel brought the allegations to the FBI and investigated the matters that fell within its own administrative authority. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The spokesperson declined to say what happened as a result of the investigation, or if any OPD personnel were charged or disciplined, citing a state law prohibiting the disclosure of most police personnel records. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The Oakland Police Department takes allegations of misconduct by its members seriously,” the spokesperson said. “The department shared the information with the FBI, has cooperated with federal authorities since then, and continues to do so.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The spokesperson said, “Because Mr. Juarez is a witness in an ongoing federal criminal trial, the department will not comment on the substance of his statements.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FBI spokesperson Cameron Polan said the agency cannot comment on the case at this time. Neither the U.S. Attorney’s Office nor the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office responded to KQED’s questions about the calls or whether any officers have been charged. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104321\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, left, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Defense attorneys have called into question Juarez’s credibility and what they’ve described as his “decades-long history” of fraud. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In court records filed in the lead-up to the trial, defense attorneys said Juarez had been sued approximately 33 times between 1992 and 2022, including numerous fraud cases involving former business partners. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They described a documented “counter-attack” history, including instances in which they say Juarez alleged misconduct by others in response to accusations or lawsuits lodged against him. Juarez, they said, “has repeatedly falsely accused business partners of crimes and other wrongdoing in efforts to escape liability for his own actions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An attorney for Andy Duong declined to comment on Juarez’s allegations in the 911 calls. Lawyers for David Duong and Doug Straus with Buchalter Law Firm, an attorney for California Waste Solutions, did not respond to KQED’s requests for comment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘For your records when you get subpoenaed’ \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The day that Juarez called 911 marked a breaking point in his yearslong relationship with the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the fall of 2022, Juarez and the Duongs had gone into business together on Evolutionary Homes — a company that aimed to convert shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness and market them to Bay Area cities and counties looking to address the crisis. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors allege that Thao agreed to commit the city of Oakland to purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, in addition to other favors, as part of the alleged bribery scheme.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103338\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home development for people who are exiting homelessness. (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But in the spring of 2024, prosecutors say the relationship between the Duongs and Juarez began to deteriorate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That year, Andy Duong told an Alameda County District Attorney’s Office inspector that he and his father had invested $800,000 into a business venture with Juarez but ultimately fell victim to what they considered to be theft of their investment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez, they said, was supposed to deliver 50 container homes but had only produced two of them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Over the course of their involvement with him, Juarez continued to ask for more and more money for the project without being able to provide them receipts, etc.,” a July 2024 search warrant affidavit read, continuing, “the Duongs, now allegedly into the project for slightly over $1,000,000, decided to walk away from doing business with Juarez.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“When asked why deliveries were not being made, Juarez would make excuses about being close, or that worker or material costs [were] slowing things down,” Andy Duong told the inspector. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104322\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong, son of California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a court filing, prosecutors say Juarez became frustrated by the Duongs not reimbursing him for what he said he had already spent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By late April, the tension in their relationship reached a breaking point. Juarez, prosecutors say, asked to dissolve the partnership, and the Duongs threatened legal action based on loans they had given Juarez.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In response, they say, Juarez threatened to go to law enforcement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an email on April 24, 2024, to David Duong, Andy Duong and others, Juarez said he was writing “for your records when you get subpoenaed by the FBI, City Attorneys, FPPC, and others,” the filing read.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘I want my money’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez and the Duongs disagree about what happened next. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to prosecutors, on May 3, 2024, Juarez arrived at the Evolutionary Homes office and discovered he had been locked out. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an audio recording of the confrontation that followed, which was admitted as evidence in the trial on Friday, Juarez can be heard saying, “I want my money,” to which David Duong responded, “We want our $800,000 back.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1774\" height=\"1182\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/chain-watch_brightened-ec47ed5f.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106136\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/chain-watch_brightened-ec47ed5f.jpg 1774w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/chain-watch_brightened-ec47ed5f-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/chain-watch_brightened-ec47ed5f-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1774px) 100vw, 1774px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Prosecutors say they found a gold chain and watch in Andy Duong’s garage that Mario Juarez identified as belonging to him. Juarez, Andy Duong and David Duong had gone into business together on Evolutionary Homes, a housing startup that’s at the center of an alleged bribery scheme involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, before the two had a falling out in the spring of 2024. (Courtesy of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez can be heard insisting that he needs to get inside the office, while other people, including David Duong, offer to help get his stuff out. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The “business is gone,” David Duong can be heard saying. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Have you closed the business?” Juarez asks. “Yeah,” David Duong responded. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Asst. U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine told the jury in the government’s opening statement that Andy Duong recorded the exchange.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“When Juarez refused to leave, Duong turned off the recorder,” Fine said. “Some people showed up and beat up Juarez. They beat him, punched him.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And, Fine said, they took a watch and chain that Juarez “had worn for years.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That same day, Juarez called 911. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I am reporting a felony assault,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They assaulted me this afternoon, and I just got home,” he told the dispatcher. “It was about ten people.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said that the assault was “organized by Johnny Duong,” David Duong’s son and California Waste Solutions’ chief operating officer. Johnny Duong declined to comment on the allegations. A review of Alameda County and federal court records by KQED found no criminal charges against Johnny Duong related to the alleged assault. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The next day, when officers apparently still hadn’t responded, Juarez called 911 again. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Ma’am, I need to report a crime that I was a victim of,” Juarez said, explaining that he had just woken up from a beating the day before. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I got stomped in the head by ten people that were sent together by the owners of California Waste Solutions, which is the city of Oakland waste management contract,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez asked for a sergeant to respond, because the owners of the company “have tremendous influence with the police, with patrol officers,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The dispatcher asked Juarez for the name of the company again. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez reiterated, “California Waste Solutions.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Because I know them,” Juarez said. “I know what they do. I know how they racketeer. I know how they launder money.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I know how they \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/08/01/fbi-raids-oakland-police-chinatown/\">donate drones\u003c/a> to the police department,” Juarez said. “I know how they have police officers right now in their offices during their break, right now, today, right now. You have a patrol at 1211 Embarcadero on the third floor and saying that he’s at Starbucks. Do you see? Do you not have a patrol officer at 1211 Embarcadero?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’m just trying to give you an idea of something that is so powerful that perhaps, you know …” he trailed off. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KQED has not substantiated Juarez’s allegations against Oakland police. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Andy Duong told the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office inspector a different account of the events that day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his version, Juarez showed up at California Waste Solutions on May 3, 2024, and confronted him and his father, claiming they still owed him money he needed to pay his workers in Mexico, where the company was purportedly building homes out of shipping containers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the search warrant affidavit authored by the inspector, Andy Duong alleged Juarez “held them for hours demanding money.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1998\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_016_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098818\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_016_qed.jpg 1998w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_016_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_016_qed-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1998px) 100vw, 1998px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The California Waste Solutions headquarters at 1211 Embarcadero in Oakland on Sept. 8, 2026. The company provides curbside recycling service in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They feared for their safety because he is known to carry weapons,” the affidavit read. “Juarez ultimately left without receiving any further money from the Duongs.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors on Friday showed a photo taken that day outside California Waste Solutions’ office, which was seized from Andy Duong’s phone. In the photo, Juarez can be seen sitting on the ground covered with a blanket while several people stand around him. An ambulance and stretcher are parked nearby. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Winston Chan, one of Andy Duong’s attorneys, told jurors in his opening statement that Juarez showed up that day agitated and armed with a gun. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chan said someone outside the Duong family punched Juarez in the face. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What happened was, yes, an altercation,” Chan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’m not going to say that afternoon was handled well,” he said. “But this was the farthest thing from a preplanned ambush.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Court records show an Oakland police officer is expected to testify about his interactions with Andy Duong, David Duong and his sister Kristina Duong, chief financial officer at California Waste Solutions, on the day Juarez placed the second 911 call, as well as a police report he authored documenting the Duongs’ descriptions of the confrontation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a recent court filing, prosecutors said surveillance footage from the recycling company’s headquarters on May 3, 2024, doesn’t exist. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez previously told the FBI he had seen members of the Duong family delete footage from the security system.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Evidence that Juarez previously observed the deletion of footage from the surveillance system therefore is relevant to the jury’s assessment of why no corresponding footage exists for May 3, 2024,” the filing read. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When Juarez went to the police, it marked the first time he talked to law enforcement about the Duongs, Fine said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About a month later, on June 6, 2024, Juarez sat down with the FBI for an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two weeks after that, the FBI executed search warrants at Thao, Jones and David and Andy Duong’s homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the search of Andy Duong’s residence, Fine said agents discovered a watch and chain that Juarez identified as items stolen from him during the altercation with the Duongs. They were in a paper bag, Fine said, inside Andy Duong’s garage.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
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"order": 10
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
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},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/",
"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
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"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
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"order": 1
},
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"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"meta": {
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"meta": {
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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},
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"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
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"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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"id": "freakonomics-radio",
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"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
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},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
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"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
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},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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},
"how-i-built-this": {
"id": "how-i-built-this",
"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
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},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
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"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
}
},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
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}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
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"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
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"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
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