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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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"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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"\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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"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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"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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"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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"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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"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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"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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"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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"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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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>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",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Juarez also said at that meeting, Thao told him she also wanted $300,000. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We agreed to do it through AJ,” Juarez said, referring to Jones. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>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",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>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",
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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-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=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\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.\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-23-BL-KQED-689f6cdc.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107527\"/>\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.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\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>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",
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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>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",
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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\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘There’s nothing wrong with karaoke’ \u003c/h2>\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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"\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>Juarez said while they were courting Gallegos for the role, “It was important that [he] was shown a good time.”\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>There was “use of substances,” Juarez said, before the defense raised a series of objections. \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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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“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",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The prosecution will continue questioning Juarez on Thursday, when the trial resumes.\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>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>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\u003cp>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",
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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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"excerpt": "LaTonda Simmons went to the Justice Department with her suspicions about dealings in city government, she said Thursday.\n",
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"title": "Sheng Thao Trial: Former Oakland Employee Alleges ‘Far-Reaching’ Conspiracy | KQED",
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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": "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",
"publishDate": 1793291142,
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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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"\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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"innerHTML": "\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\" 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=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\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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"\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\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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"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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"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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"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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"\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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"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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"\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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"excerpt": "Prosecutors played a series of audio recordings that Cecilia Mendez, the former romantic partner of controversial government witness Mario Juarez, secretly recorded.",
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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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"slug": "key-witness-in-sheng-thao-corruption-trial-will-be-compelled-to-testify",
"title": "Key Witness in Sheng Thao Corruption Trial Will Be Compelled to Testify",
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"headTitle": "Key Witness in Sheng Thao Corruption Trial Will Be Compelled to Testify | KQED",
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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>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>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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"\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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"\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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"\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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"title": "Key Witness in Sheng Thao Corruption Trial Will Be Compelled to Testify | KQED",
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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": "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",
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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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"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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"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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"\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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"\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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"\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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"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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"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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"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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"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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"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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"\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\"/>\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>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",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In response, they say, Juarez threatened to go to law enforcement. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>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",
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"\n\u003cp>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"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez and the Duongs disagree about what happened next. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to prosecutors, on May 3, 2024, Juarez arrived at the Evolutionary Homes office and discovered he had been locked out. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>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",
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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/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=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\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.\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>“Have you closed the business?” Juarez asks. “Yeah,” David Duong responded. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Asst. U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine told the jury in the government’s opening statement that Andy Duong recorded the exchange.\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>“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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"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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"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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"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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"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>“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>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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"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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"slug": "oakland-corruption-trial-fbi-agent-testimony-stretches-into-fifth-day",
"title": "Thao Trial: Defense Attorneys Poke Holes in FBI’s Oakland Corruption Investigation",
"publishDate": 1793118577,
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"headTitle": "Thao Trial: Defense Attorneys Poke Holes in FBI’s Oakland Corruption Investigation | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the course of four days in the \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\">federal corruption trial\u003c/a> of former \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> Mayor Sheng Thao, an FBI agent’s testimony has allowed the court to admit thousands of pages of private texts, digital files and audio recordings.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This week, defense attorneys tried to cast doubt on what the government believes that evidence proves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Special FBI Agent Katherine Barclay completed her testimony on Tuesday, after providing nearly 20 hours of testimony. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son Andy Duong face bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges for allegedly promising to trade campaign support for Thao’s mayoral campaign, and a $300,000 bribe for favorable treatment for the Duongs’ businesses and interests. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All four have pleaded not guilty.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here’s what Barclay’s testimony and cross-examination revealed so far about the alleged quid pro quo:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who paid what for 2022 campaign mailers?\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Tuesday, Andy Duong’s defense team called into question who paid for negative campaign mailers attacking Thao’s 2022 mayoral opponents, which prosecutors say are central to the alleged bribery scheme. Government attorneys have alleged the Duongs paid Mario Juarez, a former business partner, to produce them, pointing to a $75,000 payment that Andy Duong discussed with Juarez via text in October 2022 as evidence supporting their claim. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But on Tuesday, Andy Duong’s defense attorney Erik Babcock pointed to expense filings that Juarez filed with the California Fair Political Practices Commission that indicate he spent a total of around $110,000 on two mailers attacking Thao’s opponents, Loren Taylor and Ignacio De La Fuente. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1708\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098354\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg 2560w, 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: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong exits the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California, on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. Sheng Thao, the former mayor of Oakland, was criminally indicted by a federal grand jury after an FBI corruption investigation that centered on City Hall and the powerful Duong family that operates the city’s curbside recycling program, a source familiar with the matter told the Chronicle. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“So he didn’t claim to have spent $75,000, did he?” Babcock asked the FBI agent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay confirmed that was not the total he wrote on his FPPC forms. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later, though, Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Priedeman, an attorney for the prosecution, directed Barclay back to the document from Juarez’s iCloud account that lays out the alleged “Deal Points for Sheng Thao.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It includes two line items related to the mailers: a $75,000 payment from California Waste Solutions, and a separate $40,000 advance payment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“That roughly adds up to $110,000, right?” she asked Barclay. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Yes,” Barclay said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andre Jones’ Evolutionary Homes job wasn’t on his computer\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors also asked Barclay earlier in her testimony about a number of devices that the FBI confiscated during a series of early morning raids on June 20, 2024, which included the home Thao and Jones shared, both David and Andy Duong’s homes, and the waterfront offices of California Waste Solutions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the pieces of evidence was Jones’ laptop. On it, Barclay said, investigators found no references to Evolutionary Homes — a housing startup Andy Duong founded with Juarez — where Jones purported to work as a government relations specialist. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Between December 2022 and January 2023, Jones cashed five checks from Juarez totaling $20,000 for his work at the housing startup, according to a government indictment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But in January 2024, Jones was not listed on an organizational chart for the company, which Cecilia Mendez, a former California Waste Solutions employee and Juarez’s onetime romantic partner, sent to the Duongs and others.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors say the multiple checks from Evolutionary Homes and another of Juarez’s companies, called Ciudad Holdings, were bribes, but Jones’ attorneys have characterized them as advances to “keep him available” to work as a consultant selling contracts to municipalities once their container homes were ready to be sold.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jones’ attorney spent time during his opening statement pointing to Evolutionary Homes 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\">During his cross examination of Barclay on Tuesday, Jones’ attorney Mark Goldrosen pointed out that a contact page on the Evolutionary Homes website didn’t include a comprehensive list of employees — it didn’t have information for reaching Cecily Frost, an Evolutionary Homes representative, or Michael Duong, who he suggested was the company’s chief financial officer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Investigators did, however, find evidence on Jones’ computer that he worked for another company, called Kearns and West, a national communications firm.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Thao and Jones financial struggles come to light\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay’s testimony also allowed for the admission of a number of text exchanges between Thao and Jones regarding their bills. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the course of at least two years when they lived together, Thao sent messages to Jones multiple times reminding him to pay rent. At one point, their landlord told them that, after several months when Jones didn’t pay his portion of the rent on time, the couple would need to provide a cashier’s check, instead of using online deposits. \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-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.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 co-defendant in her 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\">Throughout the trial, prosecutors have raised questions about Jones’ financial status. In 2021 and 2022, Jones and Thao split rent payments or Thao paid them in their entirety. But beginning in January 2023, when Jones began receiving payments from Evolutionary Homes, he began to cover the couple’s monthly rent payments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors have tried to link that shift — Jones’ payments toward his and Thao’s living expenses — to his receiving money for a “now-show” job from Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In April 2022, Thao texted Jones: “I don’t have enough to cover rent by myself this month. Your mom hasn’t pitched in on any bills either.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In May 2023, Thao texted Jones that PG&E wanted $6,000 to turn their power back on, and in another message from November 2023, she said: “Please don’t turn on heater, please turn off lights and electricity. The bill this month is 3000 I cannot pay that.”\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\">On Nov. 29 of that year, Jones deposited a check from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Tuesday, Goldrosen tried to dispel prosecutors’ connection between Jones’ bill payment and checks from Evolutionary Homes. He asked Barclay if she had looked into Jones’ and Thao’s financial records to see if they paid a $3,000 bill to PG&E between Nov. 14, when Thao sent a text about that bill, and Nov. 29, when Jones deposited the check from Evolutionary homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Wouldn’t it have been important to see if any payments were made to that PG&E bill before the payment from Evolutionary Homes?” Goldrosen asked. “But you yourself didn’t look into that, did you?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay said she did not. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Barclay says Juarez accused others of bribes\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, Barclay told the court that in a series of interviews, Juarez alleged “that other local politicians had taken bribes.” Tsai then went on to ask her if the government had interviewed a number of current and former Oakland, Berkeley and San Leandro elected officials. She said it had not, except in one case; that politician declined to be interviewed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KQED is not naming the elected officials, because the claims have not been substantiated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Defense attorneys have repeatedly attempted to discredit Juarez’s allegations to cast further doubt on Juarez as a witness. He’s been called a “consummate hustler” with a “decades-long history” of fraudulent behavior.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andy Duong’s secret recordings enter the courtroom\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last week, Barclay identified the voices in a series of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">phone calls\u003c/a> Andy Duong recorded with Thao, Oakland Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas and others — many of which were seemingly recorded without their knowledge. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jenkins previously told KQED it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the call because he is a government witness. Bas is also expected to testify later in the trial. Neither politician has been accused of wrongdoing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098817\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\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\">In one phone conversation between Thao and Andy Duong in April 2019, made public in court filings \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">last month\u003c/a>, Thao told him about a confidential conversation the Oakland City Council had regarding a legal dispute with his family’s recycling company, California Waste Solutions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2017, Oakland sued the company for allegedly overcharging rate payers. The recycling vendor countersued, alleging Oakland breached its contract, and the parties settled in 2021 with California Waste Solutions \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2024/08/09/cws-oakland-lawsuit-recycling-contract-duong-fbi/\">agreeing to pay ratepayers $6 million\u003c/a> in alleged overcharges. The city of Oakland paid the company nearly $2 million and released it from agreements the company made to pay for waste studies and community outreach totaling about $1.5 million.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During that litigation, in 2019, Thao told Andy Duong that multiple council members had questions about a potential refund his family’s company could have been required to give ratepayers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, who was then a first-term city councilmember, advised Andy Duong on how to prepare for a meeting the following day: “This is what you guys need to do, OK? You guys need to prepare and talk amongst yourselves and how to figure out how to do this.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103152\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao speaks during a rally against her recall at Pacific Renaissance Plaza in Oakland on Oct. 15, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao goes on to say that she, Andy Duong, and others attending the meeting, who aren’t explicitly named, should meet in a private place for lunch, “because we don’t really want to be seen with you guys.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In another call from September 2023, Thao tells Andy Duong that he and his business partners will have to “pick and choose” between her support and that of two council members at the time, Janani Ramachandran and Treva Reid. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’m not f–king with those bitches, they don’t do me any favors at all,” Thao can be heard saying on the call.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What comes next\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Barclay wrapped up her lengthy testimony, FBI intelligence analyst Katherine Higgons briefly testified Tuesday about participating in the June 20, 2024, search of Andy Duong’s house. She said she found a watch and chain in Andy Duong’s garage, which Juarez has alleged was stolen from him during a May 2024 altercation with the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Wednesday, Cecilia Mendez will testify. She is Juarez’s former romantic partner and an Evolutionary Homes representative. Prosecutors say she made a number of recordings of Evolutionary Homes board meetings they plan to play when she takes the stand. \u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [
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"\n\u003cp>Over the course of four days in the \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\">federal corruption trial\u003c/a> of former \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> Mayor Sheng Thao, an FBI agent’s testimony has allowed the court to admit thousands of pages of private texts, digital files and audio recordings.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Special FBI Agent Katherine Barclay completed her testimony on Tuesday, after providing nearly 20 hours of testimony. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son Andy Duong face bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges for allegedly promising to trade campaign support for Thao’s mayoral campaign, and a $300,000 bribe for favorable treatment for the Duongs’ businesses and interests. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son Andy Duong face bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges for allegedly promising to trade campaign support for Thao’s mayoral campaign, and a $300,000 bribe for favorable treatment for the Duongs’ businesses and interests. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Here’s what Barclay’s testimony and cross-examination revealed so far about the alleged quid pro quo:\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Here’s what Barclay’s testimony and cross-examination revealed so far about the alleged quid pro quo:\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Who paid what for 2022 campaign mailers? ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who paid what for 2022 campaign mailers?\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who paid what for 2022 campaign mailers?\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, Andy Duong’s defense team called into question who paid for negative campaign mailers attacking Thao’s 2022 mayoral opponents, which prosecutors say are central to the alleged bribery scheme. Government attorneys have alleged the Duongs paid Mario Juarez, a former business partner, to produce them, pointing to a $75,000 payment that Andy Duong discussed with Juarez via text in October 2022 as evidence supporting their claim. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, Andy Duong’s defense team called into question who paid for negative campaign mailers attacking Thao’s 2022 mayoral opponents, which prosecutors say are central to the alleged bribery scheme. Government attorneys have alleged the Duongs paid Mario Juarez, a former business partner, to produce them, pointing to a $75,000 payment that Andy Duong discussed with Juarez via text in October 2022 as evidence supporting their claim. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But on Tuesday, Andy Duong’s defense attorney Erik Babcock pointed to expense filings that Juarez filed with the California Fair Political Practices Commission that indicate he spent a total of around $110,000 on two mailers attacking Thao’s opponents, Loren Taylor and Ignacio De La Fuente. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But on Tuesday, Andy Duong’s defense attorney Erik Babcock pointed to expense filings that Juarez filed with the California Fair Political Practices Commission that indicate he spent a total of around $110,000 on two mailers attacking Thao’s opponents, Loren Taylor and Ignacio De La Fuente. \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/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098354\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg 2560w, 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=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong exits the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California, on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. Sheng Thao, the former mayor of Oakland, was criminally indicted by a federal grand jury after an FBI corruption investigation that centered on City Hall and the powerful Duong family that operates the city’s curbside recycling program, a source familiar with the matter told the Chronicle.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\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/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098354\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong exits the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California, on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. Sheng Thao, the former mayor of Oakland, was criminally indicted by a federal grand jury after an FBI corruption investigation that centered on City Hall and the powerful Duong family that operates the city’s curbside recycling program, a source familiar with the matter told the Chronicle.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“So he didn’t claim to have spent $75,000, did he?” Babcock asked the FBI agent.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Later, though, Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Priedeman, an attorney for the prosecution, directed Barclay back to the document from Juarez’s iCloud account that lays out the alleged “Deal Points for Sheng Thao.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It includes two line items related to the mailers: a $75,000 payment from California Waste Solutions, and a separate $40,000 advance payment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That roughly adds up to $110,000, right?” she asked Barclay. \u003c/p>\n",
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Andre Jones’ Evolutionary Homes job wasn’t on his computer",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andre Jones’ Evolutionary Homes job wasn’t on his computer\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andre Jones’ Evolutionary Homes job wasn’t on his computer\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors also asked Barclay earlier in her testimony about a number of devices that the FBI confiscated during a series of early morning raids on June 20, 2024, which included the home Thao and Jones shared, both David and Andy Duong’s homes, and the waterfront offices of California Waste Solutions.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Between December 2022 and January 2023, Jones cashed five checks from Juarez totaling $20,000 for his work at the housing startup, according to a government indictment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But in January 2024, Jones was not listed on an organizational chart for the company, which Cecilia Mendez, a former California Waste Solutions employee and Juarez’s onetime romantic partner, sent to the Duongs and others.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But in January 2024, Jones was not listed on an organizational chart for the company, which Cecilia Mendez, a former California Waste Solutions employee and Juarez’s onetime romantic partner, sent to the Duongs and others.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say the multiple checks from Evolutionary Homes and another of Juarez’s companies, called Ciudad Holdings, were bribes, but Jones’ attorneys have characterized them as advances to “keep him available” to work as a consultant selling contracts to municipalities once their container homes were ready to be sold.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say the multiple checks from Evolutionary Homes and another of Juarez’s companies, called Ciudad Holdings, were bribes, but Jones’ attorneys have characterized them as advances to “keep him available” to work as a consultant selling contracts to municipalities once their container homes were ready to be sold.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jones’ attorney spent time during his opening statement pointing to Evolutionary Homes 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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"\n\u003cp>Jones’ attorney spent time during his opening statement pointing to Evolutionary Homes 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>During his cross examination of Barclay on Tuesday, Jones’ attorney Mark Goldrosen pointed out that a contact page on the Evolutionary Homes website didn’t include a comprehensive list of employees — it didn’t have information for reaching Cecily Frost, an Evolutionary Homes representative, or Michael Duong, who he suggested was the company’s chief financial officer. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During his cross examination of Barclay on Tuesday, Jones’ attorney Mark Goldrosen pointed out that a contact page on the Evolutionary Homes website didn’t include a comprehensive list of employees — it didn’t have information for reaching Cecily Frost, an Evolutionary Homes representative, or Michael Duong, who he suggested was the company’s chief financial officer. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Investigators did, however, find evidence on Jones’ computer that he worked for another company, called Kearns and West, a national communications firm.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay’s testimony also allowed for the admission of a number of text exchanges between Thao and Jones regarding their bills. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Over the course of at least two years when they lived together, Thao sent messages to Jones multiple times reminding him to pay rent. At one point, their landlord told them that, after several months when Jones didn’t pay his portion of the rent on time, the couple would need to provide a cashier’s check, instead of using online deposits. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Over the course of at least two years when they lived together, Thao sent messages to Jones multiple times reminding him to pay rent. At one point, their landlord told them that, after several months when Jones didn’t pay his portion of the rent on time, the couple would need to provide a cashier’s check, instead of using online deposits. \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-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a co-defendant in her 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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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a co-defendant in her 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>Throughout the trial, prosecutors have raised questions about Jones’ financial status. In 2021 and 2022, Jones and Thao split rent payments or Thao paid them in their entirety. But beginning in January 2023, when Jones began receiving payments from Evolutionary Homes, he began to cover the couple’s monthly rent payments.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Throughout the trial, prosecutors have raised questions about Jones’ financial status. In 2021 and 2022, Jones and Thao split rent payments or Thao paid them in their entirety. But beginning in January 2023, when Jones began receiving payments from Evolutionary Homes, he began to cover the couple’s monthly rent payments.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have tried to link that shift — Jones’ payments toward his and Thao’s living expenses — to his receiving money for a “now-show” job from Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have tried to link that shift — Jones’ payments toward his and Thao’s living expenses — to his receiving money for a “now-show” job from Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In April 2022, Thao texted Jones: “I don’t have enough to cover rent by myself this month. Your mom hasn’t pitched in on any bills either.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In April 2022, Thao texted Jones: “I don’t have enough to cover rent by myself this month. Your mom hasn’t pitched in on any bills either.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In May 2023, Thao texted Jones that PG&E wanted $6,000 to turn their power back on, and in another message from November 2023, she said: “Please don’t turn on heater, please turn off lights and electricity. The bill this month is 3000 I cannot pay that.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In May 2023, Thao texted Jones that PG&E wanted $6,000 to turn their power back on, and in another message from November 2023, she said: “Please don’t turn on heater, please turn off lights and electricity. The bill this month is 3000 I cannot pay that.”\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-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=\"(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 unit 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-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103337\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home unit 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>On Nov. 29 of that year, Jones deposited a check from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Nov. 29 of that year, Jones deposited a check from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, Goldrosen tried to dispel prosecutors’ connection between Jones’ bill payment and checks from Evolutionary Homes. He asked Barclay if she had looked into Jones’ and Thao’s financial records to see if they paid a $3,000 bill to PG&E between Nov. 14, when Thao sent a text about that bill, and Nov. 29, when Jones deposited the check from Evolutionary homes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, Goldrosen tried to dispel prosecutors’ connection between Jones’ bill payment and checks from Evolutionary Homes. He asked Barclay if she had looked into Jones’ and Thao’s financial records to see if they paid a $3,000 bill to PG&E between Nov. 14, when Thao sent a text about that bill, and Nov. 29, when Jones deposited the check from Evolutionary homes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Wouldn’t it have been important to see if any payments were made to that PG&E bill before the payment from Evolutionary Homes?” Goldrosen asked. “But you yourself didn’t look into that, did you?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Wouldn’t it have been important to see if any payments were made to that PG&E bill before the payment from Evolutionary Homes?” Goldrosen asked. “But you yourself didn’t look into that, did you?”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay said she did not. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Barclay said she did not. \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Barclay says Juarez accused others of bribes",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Barclay says Juarez accused others of bribes\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Barclay says Juarez accused others of bribes\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Monday, Barclay told the court that in a series of interviews, Juarez alleged “that other local politicians had taken bribes.” Tsai then went on to ask her if the government had interviewed a number of current and former Oakland, Berkeley and San Leandro elected officials. She said it had not, except in one case; that politician declined to be interviewed.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Monday, Barclay told the court that in a series of interviews, Juarez alleged “that other local politicians had taken bribes.” Tsai then went on to ask her if the government had interviewed a number of current and former Oakland, Berkeley and San Leandro elected officials. She said it had not, except in one case; that politician declined to be interviewed.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>KQED is not naming the elected officials, because the claims have not been substantiated. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>KQED is not naming the elected officials, because the claims have not been substantiated. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys have repeatedly attempted to discredit Juarez’s allegations to cast further doubt on Juarez as a witness. He’s been called a “consummate hustler” with a “decades-long history” of fraudulent behavior.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys have repeatedly attempted to discredit Juarez’s allegations to cast further doubt on Juarez as a witness. He’s been called a “consummate hustler” with a “decades-long history” of fraudulent behavior.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Andy Duong’s secret recordings enter the courtroom",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andy Duong’s secret recordings enter the courtroom\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andy Duong’s secret recordings enter the courtroom\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last week, Barclay identified the voices in a series of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">phone calls\u003c/a> Andy Duong recorded with Thao, Oakland Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas and others — many of which were seemingly recorded without their knowledge. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Last week, Barclay identified the voices in a series of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">phone calls\u003c/a> Andy Duong recorded with Thao, Oakland Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas and others — many of which were seemingly recorded without their knowledge. \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jenkins previously told KQED it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the call because he is a government witness. Bas is also expected to testify later in the trial. Neither politician has been accused of wrongdoing. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Jenkins previously told KQED it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the call because he is a government witness. Bas is also expected to testify later in the trial. Neither politician has been accused of wrongdoing. \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_011_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098817\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-1536x1024.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",
"innerContent": [
"\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_011_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098817\"/>\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>In one phone conversation between Thao and Andy Duong in April 2019, made public in court filings \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">last month\u003c/a>, Thao told him about a confidential conversation the Oakland City Council had regarding a legal dispute with his family’s recycling company, California Waste Solutions. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In one phone conversation between Thao and Andy Duong in April 2019, made public in court filings \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">last month\u003c/a>, Thao told him about a confidential conversation the Oakland City Council had regarding a legal dispute with his family’s recycling company, California Waste Solutions. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2017, Oakland sued the company for allegedly overcharging rate payers. The recycling vendor countersued, alleging Oakland breached its contract, and the parties settled in 2021 with California Waste Solutions \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2024/08/09/cws-oakland-lawsuit-recycling-contract-duong-fbi/\">agreeing to pay ratepayers $6 million\u003c/a> in alleged overcharges. The city of Oakland paid the company nearly $2 million and released it from agreements the company made to pay for waste studies and community outreach totaling about $1.5 million.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In 2017, Oakland sued the company for allegedly overcharging rate payers. The recycling vendor countersued, alleging Oakland breached its contract, and the parties settled in 2021 with California Waste Solutions \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2024/08/09/cws-oakland-lawsuit-recycling-contract-duong-fbi/\">agreeing to pay ratepayers $6 million\u003c/a> in alleged overcharges. The city of Oakland paid the company nearly $2 million and released it from agreements the company made to pay for waste studies and community outreach totaling about $1.5 million.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During that litigation, in 2019, Thao told Andy Duong that multiple council members had questions about a potential refund his family’s company could have been required to give ratepayers. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>During that litigation, in 2019, Thao told Andy Duong that multiple council members had questions about a potential refund his family’s company could have been required to give ratepayers. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao, who was then a first-term city councilmember, advised Andy Duong on how to prepare for a meeting the following day: “This is what you guys need to do, OK? You guys need to prepare and talk amongst yourselves and how to figure out how to do this.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Thao, who was then a first-term city councilmember, advised Andy Duong on how to prepare for a meeting the following day: “This is what you guys need to do, OK? You guys need to prepare and talk amongst yourselves and how to figure out how to do this.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103152\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao speaks during a rally against her recall at Pacific Renaissance Plaza in Oakland on Oct. 15, 2024.\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/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103152\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao speaks during a rally against her recall at Pacific Renaissance Plaza in Oakland on Oct. 15, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao goes on to say that she, Andy Duong, and others attending the meeting, who aren’t explicitly named, should meet in a private place for lunch, “because we don’t really want to be seen with you guys.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao goes on to say that she, Andy Duong, and others attending the meeting, who aren’t explicitly named, should meet in a private place for lunch, “because we don’t really want to be seen with you guys.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In another call from September 2023, Thao tells Andy Duong that he and his business partners will have to “pick and choose” between her support and that of two council members at the time, Janani Ramachandran and Treva Reid. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In another call from September 2023, Thao tells Andy Duong that he and his business partners will have to “pick and choose” between her support and that of two council members at the time, Janani Ramachandran and Treva Reid. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m not f–king with those bitches, they don’t do me any favors at all,” Thao can be heard saying on the call.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I’m not f–king with those bitches, they don’t do me any favors at all,” Thao can be heard saying on the call.\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "What comes next",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What comes next\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What comes next\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After Barclay wrapped up her lengthy testimony, FBI intelligence analyst Katherine Higgons briefly testified Tuesday about participating in the June 20, 2024, search of Andy Duong’s house. She said she found a watch and chain in Andy Duong’s garage, which Juarez has alleged was stolen from him during a May 2024 altercation with the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After Barclay wrapped up her lengthy testimony, FBI intelligence analyst Katherine Higgons briefly testified Tuesday about participating in the June 20, 2024, search of Andy Duong’s house. She said she found a watch and chain in Andy Duong’s garage, which Juarez has alleged was stolen from him during a May 2024 altercation with the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, Cecilia Mendez will testify. She is Juarez’s former romantic partner and an Evolutionary Homes representative. Prosecutors say she made a number of recordings of Evolutionary Homes board meetings they plan to play when she takes the stand. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, Cecilia Mendez will testify. She is Juarez’s former romantic partner and an Evolutionary Homes representative. Prosecutors say she made a number of recordings of Evolutionary Homes board meetings they plan to play when she takes the stand. \u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "After prosecutors introduced thousands of pages of private text messages, recorded phone calls and digital files, defense attorneys tried to poke holes in what the government believes the evidence proves.",
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"title": "Thao Trial: Defense Attorneys Poke Holes in FBI’s Oakland Corruption Investigation | KQED",
"description": "After prosecutors introduced thousands of pages of private text messages, recorded phone calls and digital files, defense attorneys tried to poke holes in what the government believes the evidence proves.",
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"headline": "Thao Trial: Defense Attorneys Poke Holes in FBI’s Oakland Corruption Investigation",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the course of four days in the \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\">federal corruption trial\u003c/a> of former \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> Mayor Sheng Thao, an FBI agent’s testimony has allowed the court to admit thousands of pages of private texts, digital files and audio recordings.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This week, defense attorneys tried to cast doubt on what the government believes that evidence proves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Special FBI Agent Katherine Barclay completed her testimony on Tuesday, after providing nearly 20 hours of testimony. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son Andy Duong face bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges for allegedly promising to trade campaign support for Thao’s mayoral campaign, and a $300,000 bribe for favorable treatment for the Duongs’ businesses and interests. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All four have pleaded not guilty.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here’s what Barclay’s testimony and cross-examination revealed so far about the alleged quid pro quo:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who paid what for 2022 campaign mailers?\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Tuesday, Andy Duong’s defense team called into question who paid for negative campaign mailers attacking Thao’s 2022 mayoral opponents, which prosecutors say are central to the alleged bribery scheme. Government attorneys have alleged the Duongs paid Mario Juarez, a former business partner, to produce them, pointing to a $75,000 payment that Andy Duong discussed with Juarez via text in October 2022 as evidence supporting their claim. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But on Tuesday, Andy Duong’s defense attorney Erik Babcock pointed to expense filings that Juarez filed with the California Fair Political Practices Commission that indicate he spent a total of around $110,000 on two mailers attacking Thao’s opponents, Loren Taylor and Ignacio De La Fuente. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1708\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098354\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg 2560w, 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: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong exits the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California, on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. Sheng Thao, the former mayor of Oakland, was criminally indicted by a federal grand jury after an FBI corruption investigation that centered on City Hall and the powerful Duong family that operates the city’s curbside recycling program, a source familiar with the matter told the Chronicle. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“So he didn’t claim to have spent $75,000, did he?” Babcock asked the FBI agent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay confirmed that was not the total he wrote on his FPPC forms. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later, though, Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Priedeman, an attorney for the prosecution, directed Barclay back to the document from Juarez’s iCloud account that lays out the alleged “Deal Points for Sheng Thao.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It includes two line items related to the mailers: a $75,000 payment from California Waste Solutions, and a separate $40,000 advance payment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“That roughly adds up to $110,000, right?” she asked Barclay. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Yes,” Barclay said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andre Jones’ Evolutionary Homes job wasn’t on his computer\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors also asked Barclay earlier in her testimony about a number of devices that the FBI confiscated during a series of early morning raids on June 20, 2024, which included the home Thao and Jones shared, both David and Andy Duong’s homes, and the waterfront offices of California Waste Solutions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the pieces of evidence was Jones’ laptop. On it, Barclay said, investigators found no references to Evolutionary Homes — a housing startup Andy Duong founded with Juarez — where Jones purported to work as a government relations specialist. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Between December 2022 and January 2023, Jones cashed five checks from Juarez totaling $20,000 for his work at the housing startup, according to a government indictment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But in January 2024, Jones was not listed on an organizational chart for the company, which Cecilia Mendez, a former California Waste Solutions employee and Juarez’s onetime romantic partner, sent to the Duongs and others.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors say the multiple checks from Evolutionary Homes and another of Juarez’s companies, called Ciudad Holdings, were bribes, but Jones’ attorneys have characterized them as advances to “keep him available” to work as a consultant selling contracts to municipalities once their container homes were ready to be sold.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jones’ attorney spent time during his opening statement pointing to Evolutionary Homes 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\">During his cross examination of Barclay on Tuesday, Jones’ attorney Mark Goldrosen pointed out that a contact page on the Evolutionary Homes website didn’t include a comprehensive list of employees — it didn’t have information for reaching Cecily Frost, an Evolutionary Homes representative, or Michael Duong, who he suggested was the company’s chief financial officer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Investigators did, however, find evidence on Jones’ computer that he worked for another company, called Kearns and West, a national communications firm.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Thao and Jones financial struggles come to light\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay’s testimony also allowed for the admission of a number of text exchanges between Thao and Jones regarding their bills. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the course of at least two years when they lived together, Thao sent messages to Jones multiple times reminding him to pay rent. At one point, their landlord told them that, after several months when Jones didn’t pay his portion of the rent on time, the couple would need to provide a cashier’s check, instead of using online deposits. \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-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.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 co-defendant in her 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\">Throughout the trial, prosecutors have raised questions about Jones’ financial status. In 2021 and 2022, Jones and Thao split rent payments or Thao paid them in their entirety. But beginning in January 2023, when Jones began receiving payments from Evolutionary Homes, he began to cover the couple’s monthly rent payments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors have tried to link that shift — Jones’ payments toward his and Thao’s living expenses — to his receiving money for a “now-show” job from Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In April 2022, Thao texted Jones: “I don’t have enough to cover rent by myself this month. Your mom hasn’t pitched in on any bills either.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In May 2023, Thao texted Jones that PG&E wanted $6,000 to turn their power back on, and in another message from November 2023, she said: “Please don’t turn on heater, please turn off lights and electricity. The bill this month is 3000 I cannot pay that.”\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\">On Nov. 29 of that year, Jones deposited a check from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Tuesday, Goldrosen tried to dispel prosecutors’ connection between Jones’ bill payment and checks from Evolutionary Homes. He asked Barclay if she had looked into Jones’ and Thao’s financial records to see if they paid a $3,000 bill to PG&E between Nov. 14, when Thao sent a text about that bill, and Nov. 29, when Jones deposited the check from Evolutionary homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Wouldn’t it have been important to see if any payments were made to that PG&E bill before the payment from Evolutionary Homes?” Goldrosen asked. “But you yourself didn’t look into that, did you?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay said she did not. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Barclay says Juarez accused others of bribes\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, Barclay told the court that in a series of interviews, Juarez alleged “that other local politicians had taken bribes.” Tsai then went on to ask her if the government had interviewed a number of current and former Oakland, Berkeley and San Leandro elected officials. She said it had not, except in one case; that politician declined to be interviewed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KQED is not naming the elected officials, because the claims have not been substantiated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Defense attorneys have repeatedly attempted to discredit Juarez’s allegations to cast further doubt on Juarez as a witness. He’s been called a “consummate hustler” with a “decades-long history” of fraudulent behavior.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andy Duong’s secret recordings enter the courtroom\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last week, Barclay identified the voices in a series of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">phone calls\u003c/a> Andy Duong recorded with Thao, Oakland Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas and others — many of which were seemingly recorded without their knowledge. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jenkins previously told KQED it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the call because he is a government witness. Bas is also expected to testify later in the trial. Neither politician has been accused of wrongdoing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098817\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\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\">In one phone conversation between Thao and Andy Duong in April 2019, made public in court filings \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">last month\u003c/a>, Thao told him about a confidential conversation the Oakland City Council had regarding a legal dispute with his family’s recycling company, California Waste Solutions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2017, Oakland sued the company for allegedly overcharging rate payers. The recycling vendor countersued, alleging Oakland breached its contract, and the parties settled in 2021 with California Waste Solutions \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2024/08/09/cws-oakland-lawsuit-recycling-contract-duong-fbi/\">agreeing to pay ratepayers $6 million\u003c/a> in alleged overcharges. The city of Oakland paid the company nearly $2 million and released it from agreements the company made to pay for waste studies and community outreach totaling about $1.5 million.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During that litigation, in 2019, Thao told Andy Duong that multiple council members had questions about a potential refund his family’s company could have been required to give ratepayers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, who was then a first-term city councilmember, advised Andy Duong on how to prepare for a meeting the following day: “This is what you guys need to do, OK? You guys need to prepare and talk amongst yourselves and how to figure out how to do this.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103152\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao speaks during a rally against her recall at Pacific Renaissance Plaza in Oakland on Oct. 15, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao goes on to say that she, Andy Duong, and others attending the meeting, who aren’t explicitly named, should meet in a private place for lunch, “because we don’t really want to be seen with you guys.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In another call from September 2023, Thao tells Andy Duong that he and his business partners will have to “pick and choose” between her support and that of two council members at the time, Janani Ramachandran and Treva Reid. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’m not f–king with those bitches, they don’t do me any favors at all,” Thao can be heard saying on the call.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What comes next\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Barclay wrapped up her lengthy testimony, FBI intelligence analyst Katherine Higgons briefly testified Tuesday about participating in the June 20, 2024, search of Andy Duong’s house. She said she found a watch and chain in Andy Duong’s garage, which Juarez has alleged was stolen from him during a May 2024 altercation with the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Wednesday, Cecilia Mendez will testify. She is Juarez’s former romantic partner and an Evolutionary Homes representative. Prosecutors say she made a number of recordings of Evolutionary Homes board meetings they plan to play when she takes the stand. \u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "oakland-corruption-trial-fbi-agent-expected-to-testify-on-backdoor-dealings-in-city-hall",
"title": "Oakland Corruption Trial: FBI Agent Describes Texts, Photos Seized From Defendants",
"publishDate": 1792708925,
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"headTitle": "Oakland Corruption Trial: FBI Agent Describes Texts, Photos Seized From Defendants | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After testimony in the corruption trial involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104960/following-explosive-allegations-testimony-in-ex-oakland-mayors-corruption-trial-continues\">revealed the origins\u003c/a> of the FBI’s city hall probe, a federal agent returned to the witness stand Thursday and shed new light on the evidence the government has in hand. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay spent roughly five hours Thursday describing to the jury the evidence her agency seized in its investigation of Thao and three others, including text messages, photos, videos, phone records, and Apple notes, among other items. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her long-time partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges. All four have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, Barclay told the jury the FBI’s investigation began in February 2023, following a tip from Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission that businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, a long-time ally of the Duongs, had printed campaign mailers against Thao’s opponents. Barclay relayed that Juarez made statements to the shop owner, saying he was “expecting things in return” from the candidate those mailers were intended to support. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098342\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents exit a home associated with Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao during a raid in Oakland, California, on Thursday, June 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the bribery scheme and is expected to serve as the government’s star witness later in the trial.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors say Thao agreed that, if elected, she would help extend California Waste Solutions’ recycling contract with the city of Oakland, appoint favorable city hall staffers to director-level positions and commit the city to contracting with the housing start-up, Evolutionary Homes, that Andy Duong and Juarez cofounded. In exchange, prosecutors allege, Andy and David Duong agreed to fund a negative mailer campaign against Thao’s 2022 mayoral opponents and pay $300,000 to Jones for a no-show job.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, prosecutors showed the jury text messages that the defendants exchanged in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the first few months of Thao’s time in office. Jurors also saw an independent contractor agreement between Evolutionary Homes and Jones, detailing advance payments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao’s attorneys have questioned whether the negative mailers actually helped Thao’s campaign, with defense attorney Jeff Tsai asking Thao’s former campaign staffer, Noah Finneburgh, during his testimony Monday if the campaign was happy about the ads when they dropped.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finneburgh said he was unhappy with them, and that “people recognized it was an issue.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1805\" height=\"889\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103161\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg 1805w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-160x79.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-1536x757.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1805px) 100vw, 1805px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot from the website Mario Juarez allegedly created to attack Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, accessed by the Wayback Machine on Nov. 7, 2022. (Courtesy of Wayback Machine)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tsai suggested that the ad of Thao’s opponent, Loren Taylor, which was photoshopped to darken his skin, played into racist tropes against Black men and could have alienated voters Thao would have wanted to retain. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ethics commission’s tip related to those mailers, however, led the FBI to obtain a search warrant to access Juarez’s Apple iCloud, Barclay said Monday, which included a document he wrote enumerating the deal he allegedly struck with the Duongs and Thao.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, Barclay identified the defendants and Juarez in photos and videos shown to jurors. The prosecution also walked the jury through numerous WhatsApp and text messages from Andy Duong’s phone, which was confiscated from his home during the 2024 raid. The messages appear to reveal how some of the promises played out once Thao took office that prosecutors allege the co-defendants had made.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098343\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. Postal police investigate a home tied to David Duong, one of multiple properties searched by law enforcement that included residences to members of a politically connected family who run the citys contracted recycling company, California Waste Solutions, in Oakland, California, on June 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In one photo, from December 2022, jurors on Thursday saw photos illustrating what appeared to be a whiteboard at California Waste Solutions with words that included, “Oak 300 units” and “Mayor” along with different monetary amounts and arrows pointing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In February 2023, a month after Thao’s inauguration, Juarez and Andy Duong set up a meeting at California Waste Solutions between David Duong and Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department at the time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors allege that Gallegos was one of the candidates who Thao agreed to elevate to a leadership position in Oakland City Hall at Andy Duong’s and Juarez’s request. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In one text exchange shown to the jury on Thursday, Juarez tells Andy Duong, “I wanted him because while at the City he make [sic] sure my projects got done and grants were given to me.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez also texted Andy Duong about taking Gallegos out to party. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What dates are good for you to 1. Have Larry Gallegos come to have lunch at CWS with DD and Family if you wish to have him,” Juarez asked, appearing to refer to David Duong in the message. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In their opening statement, David Duong’s defense argued that the CWS owner didn’t know about the deal his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. Similarly, Thao’s defense has suggested that she had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments — even if it was being discussed by her co-defendants. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Weeks later, on March 10, 2023, the city’s interim city administrator appointed Gallegos the deputy director of Oakland’s housing department, despite concerns from Thao’s former chief of staff, Leigh Hanson. Hanson testified in federal court last week that she raised her concerns with the mayor that Gallegos was not qualified and believed they were on the same page, until she heard he would be appointed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During another exchange in late March 2023, Andy Duong and Juarez appear frustrated with Thao and Jones about going over their heads to communicate with David Duong and alter the terms of their agreement, leading Juarez to send Andy Duong a copy of the “Deal Points” note that the FBI found early in its investigation laying out the alleged quid pro quo.\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-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104323\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">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\">“We invested money,” Juarez wrote to Andy Duong on March 26. “Time. Talent.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later that day, Andy Duong replied to Juarez: “Aint nothing free or [sic] front cuz we did all that to help her ass win.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Barclay finishes her testimony, former Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to take the stand. Thao appointed Johnson in May 2023, and he served throughout her mayorship. He \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from the role\u003c/a> in May amid an unrelated text messaging scandal.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under Oakland’s governance structure, the administrator oversees city departments and carries out most day-to-day government functions. But they are hired and fired by the mayor, who often gives input on major decisions, including hiring department heads and agreeing to significant contracts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his opening statement, Fine said Johnson will testify that Thao directed him to meet with David Duong multiple times and tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom — allegedly the only homeless housing vendor she asked him to visit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After testimony in the corruption trial involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104960/following-explosive-allegations-testimony-in-ex-oakland-mayors-corruption-trial-continues\">revealed the origins\u003c/a> of the FBI’s city hall probe, a federal agent returned to the witness stand Thursday and shed new light on the evidence the government has in hand. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After testimony in the corruption trial involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104960/following-explosive-allegations-testimony-in-ex-oakland-mayors-corruption-trial-continues\">revealed the origins\u003c/a> of the FBI’s city hall probe, a federal agent returned to the witness stand Thursday and shed new light on the evidence the government has in hand. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay spent roughly five hours Thursday describing to the jury the evidence her agency seized in its investigation of Thao and three others, including text messages, photos, videos, phone records, and Apple notes, among other items. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay spent roughly five hours Thursday describing to the jury the evidence her agency seized in its investigation of Thao and three others, including text messages, photos, videos, phone records, and Apple notes, among other items. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao, her long-time partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges. All four have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao, her long-time partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges. All four have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Monday, Barclay told the jury the FBI’s investigation began in February 2023, following a tip from Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission that businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, a long-time ally of the Duongs, had printed campaign mailers against Thao’s opponents. Barclay relayed that Juarez made statements to the shop owner, saying he was “expecting things in return” from the candidate those mailers were intended to support. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Monday, Barclay told the jury the FBI’s investigation began in February 2023, following a tip from Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission that businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, a long-time ally of the Duongs, had printed campaign mailers against Thao’s opponents. Barclay relayed that Juarez made statements to the shop owner, saying he was “expecting things in return” from the candidate those mailers were intended to support. \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/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098342\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents exit a home associated with Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao during a raid in Oakland, California, on Thursday, June 20, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say Thao agreed that, if elected, she would help extend California Waste Solutions’ recycling contract with the city of Oakland, appoint favorable city hall staffers to director-level positions and commit the city to contracting with the housing start-up, Evolutionary Homes, that Andy Duong and Juarez cofounded. In exchange, prosecutors allege, Andy and David Duong agreed to fund a negative mailer campaign against Thao’s 2022 mayoral opponents and pay $300,000 to Jones for a no-show job.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say Thao agreed that, if elected, she would help extend California Waste Solutions’ recycling contract with the city of Oakland, appoint favorable city hall staffers to director-level positions and commit the city to contracting with the housing start-up, Evolutionary Homes, that Andy Duong and Juarez cofounded. In exchange, prosecutors allege, Andy and David Duong agreed to fund a negative mailer campaign against Thao’s 2022 mayoral opponents and pay $300,000 to Jones for a no-show job.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Thursday, prosecutors showed the jury text messages that the defendants exchanged in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the first few months of Thao’s time in office. Jurors also saw an independent contractor agreement between Evolutionary Homes and Jones, detailing advance payments.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Thursday, prosecutors showed the jury text messages that the defendants exchanged in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the first few months of Thao’s time in office. Jurors also saw an independent contractor agreement between Evolutionary Homes and Jones, detailing advance payments.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorneys have questioned whether the negative mailers actually helped Thao’s campaign, with defense attorney Jeff Tsai asking Thao’s former campaign staffer, Noah Finneburgh, during his testimony Monday if the campaign was happy about the ads when they dropped.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorneys have questioned whether the negative mailers actually helped Thao’s campaign, with defense attorney Jeff Tsai asking Thao’s former campaign staffer, Noah Finneburgh, during his testimony Monday if the campaign was happy about the ads when they dropped.\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/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103161\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg 1805w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-160x79.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-1536x757.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot from the website Mario Juarez allegedly created to attack Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, accessed by the Wayback Machine on Nov. 7, 2022. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Wayback Machine)\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/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103161\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot from the website Mario Juarez allegedly created to attack Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, accessed by the Wayback Machine on Nov. 7, 2022. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Wayback Machine)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tsai suggested that the ad of Thao’s opponent, Loren Taylor, which was photoshopped to darken his skin, played into racist tropes against Black men and could have alienated voters Thao would have wanted to retain. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tsai suggested that the ad of Thao’s opponent, Loren Taylor, which was photoshopped to darken his skin, played into racist tropes against Black men and could have alienated voters Thao would have wanted to retain. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The ethics commission’s tip related to those mailers, however, led the FBI to obtain a search warrant to access Juarez’s Apple iCloud, Barclay said Monday, which included a document he wrote enumerating the deal he allegedly struck with the Duongs and Thao.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Barclay identified the defendants and Juarez in photos and videos shown to jurors. The prosecution also walked the jury through numerous WhatsApp and text messages from Andy Duong’s phone, which was confiscated from his home during the 2024 raid. The messages appear to reveal how some of the promises played out once Thao took office that prosecutors allege the co-defendants had made.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Barclay identified the defendants and Juarez in photos and videos shown to jurors. The prosecution also walked the jury through numerous WhatsApp and text messages from Andy Duong’s phone, which was confiscated from his home during the 2024 raid. The messages appear to reveal how some of the promises played out once Thao took office that prosecutors allege the co-defendants had made.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In one photo, from December 2022, jurors on Thursday saw photos illustrating what appeared to be a whiteboard at California Waste Solutions with words that included, “Oak 300 units” and “Mayor” along with different monetary amounts and arrows pointing.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In February 2023, a month after Thao’s inauguration, Juarez and Andy Duong set up a meeting at California Waste Solutions between David Duong and Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department at the time. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In February 2023, a month after Thao’s inauguration, Juarez and Andy Duong set up a meeting at California Waste Solutions between David Duong and Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department at the time. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege that Gallegos was one of the candidates who Thao agreed to elevate to a leadership position in Oakland City Hall at Andy Duong’s and Juarez’s request. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege that Gallegos was one of the candidates who Thao agreed to elevate to a leadership position in Oakland City Hall at Andy Duong’s and Juarez’s request. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In one text exchange shown to the jury on Thursday, Juarez tells Andy Duong, “I wanted him because while at the City he make [sic] sure my projects got done and grants were given to me.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In one text exchange shown to the jury on Thursday, Juarez tells Andy Duong, “I wanted him because while at the City he make [sic] sure my projects got done and grants were given to me.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez also texted Andy Duong about taking Gallegos out to party. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What dates are good for you to 1. Have Larry Gallegos come to have lunch at CWS with DD and Family if you wish to have him,” Juarez asked, appearing to refer to David Duong in the message. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“What dates are good for you to 1. Have Larry Gallegos come to have lunch at CWS with DD and Family if you wish to have him,” Juarez asked, appearing to refer to David Duong in the message. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In their opening statement, David Duong’s defense argued that the CWS owner didn’t know about the deal his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. Similarly, Thao’s defense has suggested that she had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments — even if it was being discussed by her co-defendants. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In their opening statement, David Duong’s defense argued that the CWS owner didn’t know about the deal his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. Similarly, Thao’s defense has suggested that she had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments — even if it was being discussed by her co-defendants. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Weeks later, on March 10, 2023, the city’s interim city administrator appointed Gallegos the deputy director of Oakland’s housing department, despite concerns from Thao’s former chief of staff, Leigh Hanson. Hanson testified in federal court last week that she raised her concerns with the mayor that Gallegos was not qualified and believed they were on the same page, until she heard he would be appointed.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Weeks later, on March 10, 2023, the city’s interim city administrator appointed Gallegos the deputy director of Oakland’s housing department, despite concerns from Thao’s former chief of staff, Leigh Hanson. Hanson testified in federal court last week that she raised her concerns with the mayor that Gallegos was not qualified and believed they were on the same page, until she heard he would be appointed.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During another exchange in late March 2023, Andy Duong and Juarez appear frustrated with Thao and Jones about going over their heads to communicate with David Duong and alter the terms of their agreement, leading Juarez to send Andy Duong a copy of the “Deal Points” note that the FBI found early in its investigation laying out the alleged quid pro quo.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During another exchange in late March 2023, Andy Duong and Juarez appear frustrated with Thao and Jones about going over their heads to communicate with David Duong and alter the terms of their agreement, leading Juarez to send Andy Duong a copy of the “Deal Points” note that the FBI found early in its investigation laying out the alleged quid pro quo.\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-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104323\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">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-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104323\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">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>“We invested money,” Juarez wrote to Andy Duong on March 26. “Time. Talent.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Later that day, Andy Duong replied to Juarez: “Aint nothing free or [sic] front cuz we did all that to help her ass win.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After Barclay finishes her testimony, former Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to take the stand. Thao appointed Johnson in May 2023, and he served throughout her mayorship. He \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from the role\u003c/a> in May amid an unrelated text messaging scandal.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After Barclay finishes her testimony, former Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to take the stand. Thao appointed Johnson in May 2023, and he served throughout her mayorship. He \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from the role\u003c/a> in May amid an unrelated text messaging scandal.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under Oakland’s governance structure, the administrator oversees city departments and carries out most day-to-day government functions. But they are hired and fired by the mayor, who often gives input on major decisions, including hiring department heads and agreeing to significant contracts.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Under Oakland’s governance structure, the administrator oversees city departments and carries out most day-to-day government functions. But they are hired and fired by the mayor, who often gives input on major decisions, including hiring department heads and agreeing to significant contracts.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In his opening statement, Fine said Johnson will testify that Thao directed him to meet with David Duong multiple times and tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom — allegedly the only homeless housing vendor she asked him to visit.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In his opening statement, Fine said Johnson will testify that Thao directed him to meet with David Duong multiple times and tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom — allegedly the only homeless housing vendor she asked him to visit.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay described evidence the agency collected in its investigation of alleged public corruption in the criminal trial of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and three others.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After testimony in the corruption trial involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104960/following-explosive-allegations-testimony-in-ex-oakland-mayors-corruption-trial-continues\">revealed the origins\u003c/a> of the FBI’s city hall probe, a federal agent returned to the witness stand Thursday and shed new light on the evidence the government has in hand. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay spent roughly five hours Thursday describing to the jury the evidence her agency seized in its investigation of Thao and three others, including text messages, photos, videos, phone records, and Apple notes, among other items. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her long-time partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges. All four have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, Barclay told the jury the FBI’s investigation began in February 2023, following a tip from Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission that businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, a long-time ally of the Duongs, had printed campaign mailers against Thao’s opponents. Barclay relayed that Juarez made statements to the shop owner, saying he was “expecting things in return” from the candidate those mailers were intended to support. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098342\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents exit a home associated with Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao during a raid in Oakland, California, on Thursday, June 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the bribery scheme and is expected to serve as the government’s star witness later in the trial.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors say Thao agreed that, if elected, she would help extend California Waste Solutions’ recycling contract with the city of Oakland, appoint favorable city hall staffers to director-level positions and commit the city to contracting with the housing start-up, Evolutionary Homes, that Andy Duong and Juarez cofounded. In exchange, prosecutors allege, Andy and David Duong agreed to fund a negative mailer campaign against Thao’s 2022 mayoral opponents and pay $300,000 to Jones for a no-show job.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, prosecutors showed the jury text messages that the defendants exchanged in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the first few months of Thao’s time in office. Jurors also saw an independent contractor agreement between Evolutionary Homes and Jones, detailing advance payments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao’s attorneys have questioned whether the negative mailers actually helped Thao’s campaign, with defense attorney Jeff Tsai asking Thao’s former campaign staffer, Noah Finneburgh, during his testimony Monday if the campaign was happy about the ads when they dropped.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finneburgh said he was unhappy with them, and that “people recognized it was an issue.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1805\" height=\"889\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103161\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg 1805w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-160x79.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-1536x757.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1805px) 100vw, 1805px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot from the website Mario Juarez allegedly created to attack Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, accessed by the Wayback Machine on Nov. 7, 2022. (Courtesy of Wayback Machine)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tsai suggested that the ad of Thao’s opponent, Loren Taylor, which was photoshopped to darken his skin, played into racist tropes against Black men and could have alienated voters Thao would have wanted to retain. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ethics commission’s tip related to those mailers, however, led the FBI to obtain a search warrant to access Juarez’s Apple iCloud, Barclay said Monday, which included a document he wrote enumerating the deal he allegedly struck with the Duongs and Thao.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, Barclay identified the defendants and Juarez in photos and videos shown to jurors. The prosecution also walked the jury through numerous WhatsApp and text messages from Andy Duong’s phone, which was confiscated from his home during the 2024 raid. The messages appear to reveal how some of the promises played out once Thao took office that prosecutors allege the co-defendants had made.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098343\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. Postal police investigate a home tied to David Duong, one of multiple properties searched by law enforcement that included residences to members of a politically connected family who run the citys contracted recycling company, California Waste Solutions, in Oakland, California, on June 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In one photo, from December 2022, jurors on Thursday saw photos illustrating what appeared to be a whiteboard at California Waste Solutions with words that included, “Oak 300 units” and “Mayor” along with different monetary amounts and arrows pointing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In February 2023, a month after Thao’s inauguration, Juarez and Andy Duong set up a meeting at California Waste Solutions between David Duong and Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department at the time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors allege that Gallegos was one of the candidates who Thao agreed to elevate to a leadership position in Oakland City Hall at Andy Duong’s and Juarez’s request. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In one text exchange shown to the jury on Thursday, Juarez tells Andy Duong, “I wanted him because while at the City he make [sic] sure my projects got done and grants were given to me.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez also texted Andy Duong about taking Gallegos out to party. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What dates are good for you to 1. Have Larry Gallegos come to have lunch at CWS with DD and Family if you wish to have him,” Juarez asked, appearing to refer to David Duong in the message. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In their opening statement, David Duong’s defense argued that the CWS owner didn’t know about the deal his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. Similarly, Thao’s defense has suggested that she had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments — even if it was being discussed by her co-defendants. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Weeks later, on March 10, 2023, the city’s interim city administrator appointed Gallegos the deputy director of Oakland’s housing department, despite concerns from Thao’s former chief of staff, Leigh Hanson. Hanson testified in federal court last week that she raised her concerns with the mayor that Gallegos was not qualified and believed they were on the same page, until she heard he would be appointed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During another exchange in late March 2023, Andy Duong and Juarez appear frustrated with Thao and Jones about going over their heads to communicate with David Duong and alter the terms of their agreement, leading Juarez to send Andy Duong a copy of the “Deal Points” note that the FBI found early in its investigation laying out the alleged quid pro quo.\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-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104323\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">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\">“We invested money,” Juarez wrote to Andy Duong on March 26. “Time. Talent.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later that day, Andy Duong replied to Juarez: “Aint nothing free or [sic] front cuz we did all that to help her ass win.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Barclay finishes her testimony, former Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to take the stand. Thao appointed Johnson in May 2023, and he served throughout her mayorship. He \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from the role\u003c/a> in May amid an unrelated text messaging scandal.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under Oakland’s governance structure, the administrator oversees city departments and carries out most day-to-day government functions. But they are hired and fired by the mayor, who often gives input on major decisions, including hiring department heads and agreeing to significant contracts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his opening statement, Fine said Johnson will testify that Thao directed him to meet with David Duong multiple times and tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom — allegedly the only homeless housing vendor she asked him to visit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "following-explosive-allegations-testimony-in-ex-oakland-mayors-corruption-trial-continues",
"title": "Oakland Corruption Trial: FBI Agent Shares Misstep That Tipped Off Investigators",
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"headTitle": "Oakland Corruption Trial: FBI Agent Shares Misstep That Tipped Off Investigators | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A tip from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> Public Ethics Commission launched the federal investigation into the alleged pay-to-play corruption scheme at the center of former Mayor Sheng Thao’s criminal trial, an FBI agent told the jury in federal court on Monday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The testimony came amid protests outside the courthouse from anti-public corruption activists and after a former Thao staffer shed light on efforts her staff made in the lead-up to the 2022 mayoral election to distance themselves from negative campaign mailers depicting her opponents. Thao’s former chief of staff Leigh Hanson also doubled down on her \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">testimony last week\u003c/a> that Thao called Andy Duong a “playboy” who was going to “ruin her career” as the second week of the trial got underway. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy and bribery charges for their alleged involvement in a quid pro quo to elevate the Duongs’ companies in exchange for $300,000 paid to Jones and support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral bid. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Katherine Barclay testified Monday that the citizen commission that monitors Oakland city government approached the FBI in February 2023 with a report of possible political corruption from the person hired to print mailers targeting Thao’s mayoral opponents. \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/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105127\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Scott Means, former Director of Oakland’s Health and Human Services Department, speaks at a rally outside of the federal courthouse in Oakland where former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and others are on trial on Oct. 19, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay alleged that the FBI’s investigation began in connection with a separate check fraud case by Alameda County District Attorney’s Office against Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, who was accused of commissioning the mailers but failing to pay for them. The District Attorney’s Office later dropped the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme involving Thao and is expected to serve as a key cooperating witness for the government later in the trial. Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to Barclay, Juarez had hired Samari Johnson’s company to print a number of campaign mailers attacking Thao’s opponents just before Election Day but had paid more than $50,000 for the mailers with invalid checks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Johnson later filed a police report against Juarez, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office opened a criminal case against him in January 2024, but dropped the charges after Juarez alleged that then-District Attorney Pamela Price was retaliating against him for refusing to donate to her own campaign. Price was recalled alongside Thao in November 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay testified that Johnson said Juarez made statements to him “about expecting things in return for the mailers from the candidate he was supporting.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That information led the FBI to obtain a search warrant for Juarez’s Apple iCloud account, where they found a document on the Notes application called “Sheng Thao Deal Points.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The note, which Juarez later sent to Andy Duong in a WhatsApp message, lays out much of the alleged scheme, including the Duongs’ and Juarez’s promise of the negative mailer campaign and $300,000 in exchange for purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, appointing certain individuals to city administration positions and extending California Waste Solutions’ contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay also said that after an altercation between Juarez and the Duongs at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters in May 2024, the Oakland Police Department brought allegations that Juarez made “against” the Duongs and the police department to the FBI. An attorney representing Juarez at the time told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-fbi-mario-juarez-19545382.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that he was “severely beaten” in the incident.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay said the FBI first approached Juarez for an interview after that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Former Thao chief concludes testimony\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before Barclay took the stand late into the day on Monday, Andy Duong’s attorney, Winston Chan, questioned Hanson about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">statements she made last week\u003c/a> regarding his client’s conduct on a trade delegation to Vietnam in the summer of 2023 that Thao and other East Bay officials also attended. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The trade delegation has become a flashpoint in the criminal case, after court records raised questions about who sponsored the high price tag for attendees’ travel, including business class flights, and after \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69557393/235/united-states-v-thao/\">allegations surfaced in July\u003c/a> that another elected official on the trip engaged in “suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, Hanson said that after a journalist had approached the mayor’s office with questions about the rumors, Thao became especially angry with Andy Duong, saying of him: “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\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\">Insinuating Andy Duong’s involvement and alleged child sex trafficking were revelations previously unknown to the public — and went against the court’s pre-established decision that the government would not elicit testimony revealing the alleged involvement of minors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, Chan asked Hanson if she was sure her comments weren’t in reference to David Duong. He pointed to a transcript of an interview Hanson gave to the FBI in 2024, in which Hanson reportedly told investigators Thao was in fact angry with David. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hanson did not back down when Chan pressed her: “She did not mention David Duong, she mentioned Andy,” Hanson told the court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hanson did acknowledge that the reporter did not accuse Andy Duong by name. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Hanson’s testimony, leaders of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013194/recalls-oakland-mayor-alameda-county-da-take-commanding-leads\">2024 campaigns to recall\u003c/a> Thao and Price held a press conference outside the courthouse, demanding an “end to City Hall corruption” in Oakland. Both elected leaders were recalled with \u003ca href=\"https://alamedacountyca.gov/rovresults/252/\">more than 60% of voters\u003c/a> supporting their removal from office. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The same political infrastructure that installed and protected Thao continues to control Oakland City Hall,” the recall leaders wrote in a press release. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Taylor mailers hurt or help?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Noah Finneburgh, a former member of Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign team, also testified Monday, shedding light on the campaign’s response to the controversial mailer campaign Juarez orchestrated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mailer includes an altered photo of Thao’s top competitor, Loren Taylor. The image of Taylor, who is Black, appears to have been photoshopped so his mouth tilts down into a frown, the arch of his eyebrows is accentuated, his skin is darker, and there is a red hue cast over the image that makes his pupils appear to have red sparks in them. Taylor has alleged the ad intended to make him look angry, following a racist stereotype against Black men.\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/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12034443\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayoral Candidate Loren Taylor at KQED headquarters in San Francisco on April 3, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finneburgh said Thao’s staff wanted to minimize the ads, not draw attention to them, since they believed they would hurt the campaign by alienating voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They just didn’t seem credible to me. They seemed like something someone would see and think, ‘just another attack ad,’” Finneburgh said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao’s top campaign staff went back and forth about how to respond and ultimately posted on Twitter denouncing the ads as “incredibly offensive,” saying her campaign “did not and would never send something like this out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay will continue to testify Thursday. She’s expected to speak about a number of documents the FBI obtained from various cell phones, tablets and computers that were collected in the raids at the California Waste Solutions office and inside the homes of Thao and Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong in June 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to remove a description of signs protestors carried depicting a current councilmember who has not been named in connection to the trial.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The testimony came amid protests outside the courthouse from anti-public corruption activists and after a former Thao staffer shed light on efforts her staff made in the lead-up to the 2022 mayoral election to distance themselves from negative campaign mailers depicting her opponents. Thao’s former chief of staff Leigh Hanson also doubled down on her \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">testimony last week\u003c/a> that Thao called Andy Duong a “playboy” who was going to “ruin her career” as the second week of the trial got underway. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy and bribery charges for their alleged involvement in a quid pro quo to elevate the Duongs’ companies in exchange for $300,000 paid to Jones and support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral bid. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Katherine Barclay testified Monday that the citizen commission that monitors Oakland city government approached the FBI in February 2023 with a report of possible political corruption from the person hired to print mailers targeting Thao’s mayoral opponents. \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/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105127\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Scott Means, former Director of Oakland’s Health and Human Services Department, speaks at a rally outside of the federal courthouse in Oakland where former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and others are on trial on Oct. 19, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay alleged that the FBI’s investigation began in connection with a separate check fraud case by Alameda County District Attorney’s Office against Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, who was accused of commissioning the mailers but failing to pay for them. The District Attorney’s Office later dropped the case. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme involving Thao and is expected to serve as a key cooperating witness for the government later in the trial. Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme involving Thao and is expected to serve as a key cooperating witness for the government later in the trial. Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to Barclay, Juarez had hired Samari Johnson’s company to print a number of campaign mailers attacking Thao’s opponents just before Election Day but had paid more than $50,000 for the mailers with invalid checks. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Johnson later filed a police report against Juarez, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office opened a criminal case against him in January 2024, but dropped the charges after Juarez alleged that then-District Attorney Pamela Price was retaliating against him for refusing to donate to her own campaign. Price was recalled alongside Thao in November 2024.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay testified that Johnson said Juarez made statements to him “about expecting things in return for the mailers from the candidate he was supporting.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That information led the FBI to obtain a search warrant for Juarez’s Apple iCloud account, where they found a document on the Notes application called “Sheng Thao Deal Points.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The note, which Juarez later sent to Andy Duong in a WhatsApp message, lays out much of the alleged scheme, including the Duongs’ and Juarez’s promise of the negative mailer campaign and $300,000 in exchange for purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, appointing certain individuals to city administration positions and extending California Waste Solutions’ contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The note, which Juarez later sent to Andy Duong in a WhatsApp message, lays out much of the alleged scheme, including the Duongs’ and Juarez’s promise of the negative mailer campaign and $300,000 in exchange for purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, appointing certain individuals to city administration positions and extending California Waste Solutions’ contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay also said that after an altercation between Juarez and the Duongs at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters in May 2024, the Oakland Police Department brought allegations that Juarez made “against” the Duongs and the police department to the FBI. An attorney representing Juarez at the time told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-fbi-mario-juarez-19545382.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that he was “severely beaten” in the incident.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Before Barclay took the stand late into the day on Monday, Andy Duong’s attorney, Winston Chan, questioned Hanson about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">statements she made last week\u003c/a> regarding his client’s conduct on a trade delegation to Vietnam in the summer of 2023 that Thao and other East Bay officials also attended. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Before Barclay took the stand late into the day on Monday, Andy Duong’s attorney, Winston Chan, questioned Hanson about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">statements she made last week\u003c/a> regarding his client’s conduct on a trade delegation to Vietnam in the summer of 2023 that Thao and other East Bay officials also attended. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The trade delegation has become a flashpoint in the criminal case, after court records raised questions about who sponsored the high price tag for attendees’ travel, including business class flights, and after \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69557393/235/united-states-v-thao/\">allegations surfaced in July\u003c/a> that another elected official on the trip engaged in “suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Hanson said that after a journalist had approached the mayor’s office with questions about the rumors, Thao became especially angry with Andy Duong, saying of him: “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\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>Insinuating Andy Duong’s involvement and alleged child sex trafficking were revelations previously unknown to the public — and went against the court’s pre-established decision that the government would not elicit testimony revealing the alleged involvement of minors.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Monday, Chan asked Hanson if she was sure her comments weren’t in reference to David Duong. He pointed to a transcript of an interview Hanson gave to the FBI in 2024, in which Hanson reportedly told investigators Thao was in fact angry with David. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson did not back down when Chan pressed her: “She did not mention David Duong, she mentioned Andy,” Hanson told the court. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After Hanson’s testimony, leaders of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013194/recalls-oakland-mayor-alameda-county-da-take-commanding-leads\">2024 campaigns to recall\u003c/a> Thao and Price held a press conference outside the courthouse, demanding an “end to City Hall corruption” in Oakland. Both elected leaders were recalled with \u003ca href=\"https://alamedacountyca.gov/rovresults/252/\">more than 60% of voters\u003c/a> supporting their removal from office. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The same political infrastructure that installed and protected Thao continues to control Oakland City Hall,” the recall leaders wrote in a press release. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Noah Finneburgh, a former member of Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign team, also testified Monday, shedding light on the campaign’s response to the controversial mailer campaign Juarez orchestrated. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Noah Finneburgh, a former member of Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign team, also testified Monday, shedding light on the campaign’s response to the controversial mailer campaign Juarez orchestrated. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The mailer includes an altered photo of Thao’s top competitor, Loren Taylor. The image of Taylor, who is Black, appears to have been photoshopped so his mouth tilts down into a frown, the arch of his eyebrows is accentuated, his skin is darker, and there is a red hue cast over the image that makes his pupils appear to have red sparks in them. Taylor has alleged the ad intended to make him look angry, following a racist stereotype against Black men.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The mailer includes an altered photo of Thao’s top competitor, Loren Taylor. The image of Taylor, who is Black, appears to have been photoshopped so his mouth tilts down into a frown, the arch of his eyebrows is accentuated, his skin is darker, and there is a red hue cast over the image that makes his pupils appear to have red sparks in them. Taylor has alleged the ad intended to make him look angry, following a racist stereotype against Black men.\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/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12034443\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayoral Candidate Loren Taylor at KQED headquarters in San Francisco on April 3, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Finneburgh said Thao’s staff wanted to minimize the ads, not draw attention to them, since they believed they would hurt the campaign by alienating voters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They just didn’t seem credible to me. They seemed like something someone would see and think, ‘just another attack ad,’” Finneburgh said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao’s top campaign staff went back and forth about how to respond and ultimately posted on Twitter denouncing the ads as “incredibly offensive,” saying her campaign “did not and would never send something like this out.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao’s top campaign staff went back and forth about how to respond and ultimately posted on Twitter denouncing the ads as “incredibly offensive,” saying her campaign “did not and would never send something like this out.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay will continue to testify Thursday. She’s expected to speak about a number of documents the FBI obtained from various cell phones, tablets and computers that were collected in the raids at the California Waste Solutions office and inside the homes of Thao and Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong in June 2024.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Barclay will continue to testify Thursday. She’s expected to speak about a number of documents the FBI obtained from various cell phones, tablets and computers that were collected in the raids at the California Waste Solutions office and inside the homes of Thao and Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong in June 2024.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to remove a description of signs protestors carried depicting a current councilmember who has not been named in connection to the trial.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to remove a description of signs protestors carried depicting a current councilmember who has not been named in connection to the trial.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "According to an FBI investigator, an unpaid bill for negative campaign mailers and a tip from a citizen commission helped launch the federal investigation into former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and her three codefendants over allegations of bribery, corruption and fraud. ",
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"title": "Oakland Corruption Trial: FBI Agent Shares Misstep That Tipped Off Investigators | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A tip from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> Public Ethics Commission launched the federal investigation into the alleged pay-to-play corruption scheme at the center of former Mayor Sheng Thao’s criminal trial, an FBI agent told the jury in federal court on Monday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The testimony came amid protests outside the courthouse from anti-public corruption activists and after a former Thao staffer shed light on efforts her staff made in the lead-up to the 2022 mayoral election to distance themselves from negative campaign mailers depicting her opponents. Thao’s former chief of staff Leigh Hanson also doubled down on her \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">testimony last week\u003c/a> that Thao called Andy Duong a “playboy” who was going to “ruin her career” as the second week of the trial got underway. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy and bribery charges for their alleged involvement in a quid pro quo to elevate the Duongs’ companies in exchange for $300,000 paid to Jones and support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral bid. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Katherine Barclay testified Monday that the citizen commission that monitors Oakland city government approached the FBI in February 2023 with a report of possible political corruption from the person hired to print mailers targeting Thao’s mayoral opponents. \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/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105127\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Scott Means, former Director of Oakland’s Health and Human Services Department, speaks at a rally outside of the federal courthouse in Oakland where former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and others are on trial on Oct. 19, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay alleged that the FBI’s investigation began in connection with a separate check fraud case by Alameda County District Attorney’s Office against Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, who was accused of commissioning the mailers but failing to pay for them. The District Attorney’s Office later dropped the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme involving Thao and is expected to serve as a key cooperating witness for the government later in the trial. Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to Barclay, Juarez had hired Samari Johnson’s company to print a number of campaign mailers attacking Thao’s opponents just before Election Day but had paid more than $50,000 for the mailers with invalid checks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Johnson later filed a police report against Juarez, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office opened a criminal case against him in January 2024, but dropped the charges after Juarez alleged that then-District Attorney Pamela Price was retaliating against him for refusing to donate to her own campaign. Price was recalled alongside Thao in November 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay testified that Johnson said Juarez made statements to him “about expecting things in return for the mailers from the candidate he was supporting.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That information led the FBI to obtain a search warrant for Juarez’s Apple iCloud account, where they found a document on the Notes application called “Sheng Thao Deal Points.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The note, which Juarez later sent to Andy Duong in a WhatsApp message, lays out much of the alleged scheme, including the Duongs’ and Juarez’s promise of the negative mailer campaign and $300,000 in exchange for purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, appointing certain individuals to city administration positions and extending California Waste Solutions’ contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay also said that after an altercation between Juarez and the Duongs at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters in May 2024, the Oakland Police Department brought allegations that Juarez made “against” the Duongs and the police department to the FBI. An attorney representing Juarez at the time told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-fbi-mario-juarez-19545382.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that he was “severely beaten” in the incident.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay said the FBI first approached Juarez for an interview after that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Former Thao chief concludes testimony\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before Barclay took the stand late into the day on Monday, Andy Duong’s attorney, Winston Chan, questioned Hanson about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">statements she made last week\u003c/a> regarding his client’s conduct on a trade delegation to Vietnam in the summer of 2023 that Thao and other East Bay officials also attended. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The trade delegation has become a flashpoint in the criminal case, after court records raised questions about who sponsored the high price tag for attendees’ travel, including business class flights, and after \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69557393/235/united-states-v-thao/\">allegations surfaced in July\u003c/a> that another elected official on the trip engaged in “suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, Hanson said that after a journalist had approached the mayor’s office with questions about the rumors, Thao became especially angry with Andy Duong, saying of him: “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\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\">Insinuating Andy Duong’s involvement and alleged child sex trafficking were revelations previously unknown to the public — and went against the court’s pre-established decision that the government would not elicit testimony revealing the alleged involvement of minors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, Chan asked Hanson if she was sure her comments weren’t in reference to David Duong. He pointed to a transcript of an interview Hanson gave to the FBI in 2024, in which Hanson reportedly told investigators Thao was in fact angry with David. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hanson did not back down when Chan pressed her: “She did not mention David Duong, she mentioned Andy,” Hanson told the court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hanson did acknowledge that the reporter did not accuse Andy Duong by name. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Hanson’s testimony, leaders of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013194/recalls-oakland-mayor-alameda-county-da-take-commanding-leads\">2024 campaigns to recall\u003c/a> Thao and Price held a press conference outside the courthouse, demanding an “end to City Hall corruption” in Oakland. Both elected leaders were recalled with \u003ca href=\"https://alamedacountyca.gov/rovresults/252/\">more than 60% of voters\u003c/a> supporting their removal from office. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The same political infrastructure that installed and protected Thao continues to control Oakland City Hall,” the recall leaders wrote in a press release. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Taylor mailers hurt or help?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Noah Finneburgh, a former member of Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign team, also testified Monday, shedding light on the campaign’s response to the controversial mailer campaign Juarez orchestrated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mailer includes an altered photo of Thao’s top competitor, Loren Taylor. The image of Taylor, who is Black, appears to have been photoshopped so his mouth tilts down into a frown, the arch of his eyebrows is accentuated, his skin is darker, and there is a red hue cast over the image that makes his pupils appear to have red sparks in them. Taylor has alleged the ad intended to make him look angry, following a racist stereotype against Black men.\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/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12034443\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayoral Candidate Loren Taylor at KQED headquarters in San Francisco on April 3, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finneburgh said Thao’s staff wanted to minimize the ads, not draw attention to them, since they believed they would hurt the campaign by alienating voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They just didn’t seem credible to me. They seemed like something someone would see and think, ‘just another attack ad,’” Finneburgh said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao’s top campaign staff went back and forth about how to respond and ultimately posted on Twitter denouncing the ads as “incredibly offensive,” saying her campaign “did not and would never send something like this out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay will continue to testify Thursday. She’s expected to speak about a number of documents the FBI obtained from various cell phones, tablets and computers that were collected in the raids at the California Waste Solutions office and inside the homes of Thao and Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong in June 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to remove a description of signs protestors carried depicting a current councilmember who has not been named in connection to the trial.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip",
"title": "Former Thao Staffer Says Office Was Asked About Alleged Child Sex Trafficking on Vietnam Trip",
"publishDate": 1792106124,
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"headTitle": "Former Thao Staffer Says Office Was Asked About Alleged Child Sex Trafficking on Vietnam Trip | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>During the first day of testimony on Thursday in the federal corruption \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao-trial\">trial of Sheng Thao\u003c/a>, the ex-mayor’s chief of staff told the court a journalist reached out to her office to ask about potential sex trafficking of minors during a 2023 trade trip to Vietnam. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The explosive allegations come as Thao faces bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges alongside her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong, and his son, Andy Duong. All attended the trip, which was spearheaded by the Vietnamese American Business Association, a group Duong chaired. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the roughly five hours of testimony, Leigh Hanson, Thao’s friend and former chief of staff, also disclosed concerns she had aired regarding Jones’ unofficial and at times inappropriate role in the mayor’s office, as well as criticisms she voiced about Thao’s staffing picks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said that after Thao returned from Vietnam, a journalist reached out to the mayor’s office regarding some of the people on the trip who were stopped by customs in relation to “concern that there was drug paraphernalia” and “potentially involvement with young women.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1372\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-10-scaled-e1792105909155.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098348\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins and former Mayor Sheng Thao’s Chief of Staff Leigh Hanson wait while former Rep. Barbara Lee files paperwork to run for mayor at City Hall in Oakland, California, on Jan. 8, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said the journalist told Francis Zamora, Thao’s former communications director, that “there was potential a story would be written about that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said when she and Zamora relayed the message to Thao, the former mayor became “very upset at Andy Duong,” saying of him, “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong did not respond to a request for comment as he left the courthouse. His attorneys said any response would come “only in court.” They have not cross-examined Hanson yet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao was vocal in her platform about sexual mistreatment of women, Hanson said, adding she was “incredibly upset that potentially some members of the delegation potentially participated.”\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-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.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 co-defendant in her 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>Hanson also testified she had concerns about Jones’ role in the mayor’s office. He was not a city employee or formal member of Thao’s team, but Hanson said he attended multiple meetings unannounced.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In January 2023, Hanson said Jones attended a meeting between city staffers and the city attorney about the decision to remove Oakland’s police chief at the time, Leonne Armstrong, and place him \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11974985/former-oakland-police-chief-leronne-armstrong-sues-city-for-wrongful-termination\">on leave\u003c/a> after reports that the department improperly investigated misconduct charges.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said that the meeting ultimately didn’t occur. She walked out of the room over concerns that having Jones present would jeopardize the confidentiality afforded to city employees meeting about privileged information, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson alleged that in response to her concerns, Jones appeared to threaten her job, saying: “We’ll see which one of us is left at the end of the day.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That same month, Hanson said Jones also joined a virtual interview she was conducting with a potential housing specialist unannounced. She said she told Thao that she was surprised and frustrated with his presence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On cross-examination, defense attorneys pointed out that Thao also had multiple other trusted advisors who didn’t hold official roles in her office, including Zac Unger, now a city councilmember, who at the time was a leader of the Association of Firefighters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorney, Daryl Tarver, asked Hanson if she recalled that “Thao had a number of advisors who were not employees” and felt it was “important to get community perspective” from people like pastors, business leaders and first responders. Hanson said yes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Priedman also asked Hanson about a key aspect of their case against the former mayor: Thao’s interest in elevating Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department, to a director role within the city’s administration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have alleged that as part of the quid pro quo Thao and Jones made with the Duongs, she agreed to place their favored candidates in leadership positions, and, according to the federal indictment, that Gallegos was one of those candidates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson testified that Thao suggested Gallegos might be a good fit for the housing department and was interested in elevating him to a leadership role. Hanson said she disagreed and told Thao he wasn’t qualified, but suggested he could be a good leader in his current department. \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-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104318\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026, for the opening day of her federal corruption trial. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was worried about retaining some of our really high-quality leaders in the housing department, and hiring a really strong director would be important,” she testified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said she believed she and Thao had come to an agreement that he would remain in the economic and workforce development department. But on March 10, 2023, Thao told Hanson he’d be appointed deputy housing director. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson texted Thao, confused by the sudden change in course. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“She shared that she had spoken to Harold and that he would be appointed to the deputy director housing role,” Hanson testified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gallegos was named Interim Deputy Director that day, just one day after prosecutors said Thao attended a dinner with all the co-defendants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson will continue testifying next week, when the trial resumes Monday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In January 2023, Hanson said Jones attended a meeting between city staffers and the city attorney about the decision to remove Oakland’s police chief at the time, Leonne Armstrong, and place him \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11974985/former-oakland-police-chief-leronne-armstrong-sues-city-for-wrongful-termination\">on leave\u003c/a> after reports that the department improperly investigated misconduct charges.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That same month, Hanson said Jones also joined a virtual interview she was conducting with a potential housing specialist unannounced. She said she told Thao that she was surprised and frustrated with his presence.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Priedman also asked Hanson about a key aspect of their case against the former mayor: Thao’s interest in elevating Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department, to a director role within the city’s administration.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Priedman also asked Hanson about a key aspect of their case against the former mayor: Thao’s interest in elevating Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department, to a director role within the city’s administration.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have alleged that as part of the quid pro quo Thao and Jones made with the Duongs, she agreed to place their favored candidates in leadership positions, and, according to the federal indictment, that Gallegos was one of those candidates.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson testified that Thao suggested Gallegos might be a good fit for the housing department and was interested in elevating him to a leadership role. Hanson said she disagreed and told Thao he wasn’t qualified, but suggested he could be a good leader in his current department. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I was worried about retaining some of our really high-quality leaders in the housing department, and hiring a really strong director would be important,” she testified. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson said she believed she and Thao had come to an agreement that he would remain in the economic and workforce development department. But on March 10, 2023, Thao told Hanson he’d be appointed deputy housing director. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hanson said she believed she and Thao had come to an agreement that he would remain in the economic and workforce development department. But on March 10, 2023, Thao told Hanson he’d be appointed deputy housing director. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“She shared that she had spoken to Harold and that he would be appointed to the deputy director housing role,” Hanson testified. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gallegos was named Interim Deputy Director that day, just one day after prosecutors said Thao attended a dinner with all the co-defendants.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson will continue testifying next week, when the trial resumes Monday.\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 report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "During the first day of testimony in the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, her former chief of staff also testified about her concerns over the role Thao’s romantic partner held in her office and criticisms of her staffing picks. ",
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"title": "Former Thao Staffer Says Office Was Asked About Alleged Child Sex Trafficking on Vietnam Trip | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>During the first day of testimony on Thursday in the federal corruption \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao-trial\">trial of Sheng Thao\u003c/a>, the ex-mayor’s chief of staff told the court a journalist reached out to her office to ask about potential sex trafficking of minors during a 2023 trade trip to Vietnam. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The explosive allegations come as Thao faces bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges alongside her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong, and his son, Andy Duong. All attended the trip, which was spearheaded by the Vietnamese American Business Association, a group Duong chaired. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the roughly five hours of testimony, Leigh Hanson, Thao’s friend and former chief of staff, also disclosed concerns she had aired regarding Jones’ unofficial and at times inappropriate role in the mayor’s office, as well as criticisms she voiced about Thao’s staffing picks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said that after Thao returned from Vietnam, a journalist reached out to the mayor’s office regarding some of the people on the trip who were stopped by customs in relation to “concern that there was drug paraphernalia” and “potentially involvement with young women.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1372\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-10-scaled-e1792105909155.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098348\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins and former Mayor Sheng Thao’s Chief of Staff Leigh Hanson wait while former Rep. Barbara Lee files paperwork to run for mayor at City Hall in Oakland, California, on Jan. 8, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said the journalist told Francis Zamora, Thao’s former communications director, that “there was potential a story would be written about that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said when she and Zamora relayed the message to Thao, the former mayor became “very upset at Andy Duong,” saying of him, “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong did not respond to a request for comment as he left the courthouse. His attorneys said any response would come “only in court.” They have not cross-examined Hanson yet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao was vocal in her platform about sexual mistreatment of women, Hanson said, adding she was “incredibly upset that potentially some members of the delegation potentially participated.”\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-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.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 co-defendant in her 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>Hanson also testified she had concerns about Jones’ role in the mayor’s office. He was not a city employee or formal member of Thao’s team, but Hanson said he attended multiple meetings unannounced.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In January 2023, Hanson said Jones attended a meeting between city staffers and the city attorney about the decision to remove Oakland’s police chief at the time, Leonne Armstrong, and place him \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11974985/former-oakland-police-chief-leronne-armstrong-sues-city-for-wrongful-termination\">on leave\u003c/a> after reports that the department improperly investigated misconduct charges.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said that the meeting ultimately didn’t occur. She walked out of the room over concerns that having Jones present would jeopardize the confidentiality afforded to city employees meeting about privileged information, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson alleged that in response to her concerns, Jones appeared to threaten her job, saying: “We’ll see which one of us is left at the end of the day.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That same month, Hanson said Jones also joined a virtual interview she was conducting with a potential housing specialist unannounced. She said she told Thao that she was surprised and frustrated with his presence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On cross-examination, defense attorneys pointed out that Thao also had multiple other trusted advisors who didn’t hold official roles in her office, including Zac Unger, now a city councilmember, who at the time was a leader of the Association of Firefighters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorney, Daryl Tarver, asked Hanson if she recalled that “Thao had a number of advisors who were not employees” and felt it was “important to get community perspective” from people like pastors, business leaders and first responders. Hanson said yes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Priedman also asked Hanson about a key aspect of their case against the former mayor: Thao’s interest in elevating Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department, to a director role within the city’s administration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have alleged that as part of the quid pro quo Thao and Jones made with the Duongs, she agreed to place their favored candidates in leadership positions, and, according to the federal indictment, that Gallegos was one of those candidates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson testified that Thao suggested Gallegos might be a good fit for the housing department and was interested in elevating him to a leadership role. Hanson said she disagreed and told Thao he wasn’t qualified, but suggested he could be a good leader in his current department. \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-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104318\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026, for the opening day of her federal corruption trial. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was worried about retaining some of our really high-quality leaders in the housing department, and hiring a really strong director would be important,” she testified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said she believed she and Thao had come to an agreement that he would remain in the economic and workforce development department. But on March 10, 2023, Thao told Hanson he’d be appointed deputy housing director. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson texted Thao, confused by the sudden change in course. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“She shared that she had spoken to Harold and that he would be appointed to the deputy director housing role,” Hanson testified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gallegos was named Interim Deputy Director that day, just one day after prosecutors said Thao attended a dinner with all the co-defendants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson will continue testifying next week, when the trial resumes Monday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "politics-as-profit-or-pure-fiction-bribery-trial-of-ex-oakland-mayor-kicks-off",
"title": "Ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s Trial Brings Alleged Quid Pro Quo Into Focus",
"publishDate": 1792088124,
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"headTitle": "Ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s Trial Brings Alleged Quid Pro Quo Into Focus | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>More than a year after former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> and three codefendants were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022517/fbi-raids-home-san-leandro-council-member-joined-vietnam-trip-sheng-thao\">indicted\u003c/a> in an alleged bribery scheme that roiled the city’s political circles, their \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\">long-awaited trial\u003c/a> got underway Wednesday with five very different storylines. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, and father and son Andy and David Duong engaged in a quid pro quo: In the run-up to the 2022 mayoral election, the Duongs would fund a negative ad campaign against Thao’s opponents and pay Jones $300,000 for a no-show job. In exchange, Thao would use her power if elected mayor to give favorable treatment to the Duongs’ business, California Waste Solutions, as well as to a housing startup called Evolutionary Homes that sought to turn shipping containers into homes for people exiting homelessness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Sheng Thao was a public official on the take, and she and Andre Jones were open for business,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine said during his opening statement to the court. “David and Andy Duong were looking for results and were willing to pay bribes to get them.”\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_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104353\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Assistant United States Attorney Abraham Fine gives his opening statement during the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, as codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong sit to the side, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is not politics as usual,” he said, “this is politics as profit.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty, and none spoke to reporters after opening statements on Tuesday. While each of their attorneys painted a different picture of what actually happened between the parties, they all agreed that Mario Juarez — the Duongs’ former business partner and the prosecution’s key witness — should not be believed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The narrator of this story is that person named Mario Juarez, and what you will quickly discover is that the story that has been introduced to you is pure fiction,” Thao’s attorney, Jeffrey Tsai, said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The trial comes more than two years after the FBI executed early morning raids of the home Thao shared with Jones, as well as Andy and David Duong’s homes and California Waste Solutions’ headquarters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The operation added fuel to a campaign already underway to recall Thao. She was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12012357/sheng-thao-accepts-defeat-in-contentious-oakland-mayoral-recall\">removed from office\u003c/a> in November 2024 and indicted on the bribery, fraud and conspiracy charges shortly after. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sheng Thao was not for sale\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai painted Thao as a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11931400/sheng-thao-oaklands-next-mayor\">young, determined politician\u003c/a> who came into office in January 2023 prepared to tackle major challenges facing the city of Oakland — from a homelessness crisis and budget deficit to gun violence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao had known Juarez from her years as a staffer in Oakland City Hall, but Tsai said Thao kept him at a comfortable distance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai alleged Juarez repeatedly tried to offer Thao support throughout her 2022 mayoral campaign. When they finally met in October, just weeks before Election Day, Juarez allegedly told Thao that labor unions sent him to help her win, and he planned to produce a political mailer in support of her race.\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 codefendants 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>“There was certainly no agreement for any bribe of any kind, no discussion of $300,000 or modular housing units,” Tsai said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai said that after her election, Juarez repeatedly appealed to Thao, advocating for city contracts for companies he was affiliated with, including ABC Security Service Inc. — which provides \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2025/12/17/oakland-leaders-reluctantly-extend-security-contract-again/\">security services\u003c/a> at city properties — and urging her to appoint his favored candidates to top city positions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai said Thao repeatedly rebuked his requests and had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The evidence will show that the real Sheng Thao is not the profile of someone who would sell her office that she fought so hard to earn in the first place,” Tsai told the jury.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andre Jones had a ‘real job’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jones’ defense attorney, Mark Goldrosen, spent his opening on behalf of Thao’s longtime romantic partner defending the “government relations” role Jones held with the container home startup Juarez and Andy Duong founded that’s at the center of the case. \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-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.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. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Goldrosen said Evolutionary Homes aligned with Jones’ interests and qualifications, both in reducing homelessness and working with local governments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He was hired to serve as a consultant and would be paid on commission. But as the company got off the ground, Goldrosen said he was paid advances, totaling $75,000, to “keep him available” to Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">David Duong: A normal businessman\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Like Thao, David Duong’s attorney told the court he was oblivious to any scheme. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jeff Schenk described David as a hardworking immigrant from Vietnam and a legitimate businessman. He held the financial power, Schenk said, 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\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 codefendant 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>He referred the jury to a series of texts between Andy Duong and Juarez in March 2023, in which Juarez asked Andy if they should “tell David” about updates to their alleged arrangement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If David Duong was a partner in crime … why, five months after the beginning, does Juarez have to ask if they should share?” Schenk said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andy Duong didn’t break any laws\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>None of the other defendants’ stories, however, seemed to vindicate Andy Duong — who prosecutors allege spearheaded negotiations in the scheme with Juarez. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His counsel, Winston Chan, acknowledged that some of the text communication he had with Juarez, taken out of context, couldn’t be denied. However, he said the government had crafted a story based on “cherry-picked” messages and notes. He said Duong’s texts cheering Thao’s victory were not unusual for a politically engaged voter, and his response to Juarez saying Thao would buy housing units from Evolutionary Homes reflected a startup founder’s shock and excitement that a city might invest. \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 codefendant 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>“Not one bit of these facts equals the bribery scheme the government is alleging,” Chan said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Whether the pieces of evidence the prosecution presents add up to the story of bribery the government has alleged “lives or dies” on Juarez’s testimony, Chan told the jury, and whether, “when he takes the stand, you believe what he says.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mario Juarez: A ‘consummate hustler’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Throughout the day, defense attorneys repeatedly undermined Juarez’s credibility, describing him as a “consummate hustler” and “vengeful” with a tendency to tell “half truths.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When the source of the information is unreliable, you see that the allegations fall apart,” Schenk said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fine got ahead of the criticism in his own opening statement, saying of Juarez: “You’ll hear and see, he is no angel.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, he said, the Evolutionary Homes cofounder would “give you an insider’s view of this bribery scheme.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He’ll talk about the evidence, what was said in the meetings,” Fine told the jury, “tell you some about his history of doing dirty work for the Duong family.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fine pledged that throughout the trial, prosecutors planned to present copious text messages, taped phone calls, video recordings and financial records chronicling the conspiracy and bribery scheme — and corroborating Juarez’s claims. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When you hear Juarez’s testimony, will see how it lines up with all of that other evidence,” Fine told the court.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the first day of testimony on Thursday, prosecutors plan to call Leigh Hanson, who served as Thao’s chief of staff. Hanson parted with the city shortly after Kevin Jenkins took office as interim mayor following Thao’s recall and subsequently \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/04/01/leigh-hanson-oakland-mayor-chief-of-staff-whistleblower-lawsuit/\">filed a lawsuit\u003c/a> against Oakland alleging that she was wrongfully fired.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>More than a year after former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> and three codefendants were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022517/fbi-raids-home-san-leandro-council-member-joined-vietnam-trip-sheng-thao\">indicted\u003c/a> in an alleged bribery scheme that roiled the city’s political circles, their \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\">long-awaited trial\u003c/a> got underway Wednesday with five very different storylines. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, and father and son Andy and David Duong engaged in a quid pro quo: In the run-up to the 2022 mayoral election, the Duongs would fund a negative ad campaign against Thao’s opponents and pay Jones $300,000 for a no-show job. In exchange, Thao would use her power if elected mayor to give favorable treatment to the Duongs’ business, California Waste Solutions, as well as to a housing startup called Evolutionary Homes that sought to turn shipping containers into homes for people exiting homelessness.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, and father and son Andy and David Duong engaged in a quid pro quo: In the run-up to the 2022 mayoral election, the Duongs would fund a negative ad campaign against Thao’s opponents and pay Jones $300,000 for a no-show job. In exchange, Thao would use her power if elected mayor to give favorable treatment to the Duongs’ business, California Waste Solutions, as well as to a housing startup called Evolutionary Homes that sought to turn shipping containers into homes for people exiting homelessness.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Sheng Thao was a public official on the take, and she and Andre Jones were open for business,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine said during his opening statement to the court. “David and Andy Duong were looking for results and were willing to pay bribes to get them.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Sheng Thao was a public official on the take, and she and Andre Jones were open for business,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine said during his opening statement to the court. “David and Andy Duong were looking for results and were willing to pay bribes to get them.”\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_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104353\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-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 United States Attorney Abraham Fine gives his opening statement during the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, as codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong sit to the side, 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_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104353\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Assistant United States Attorney Abraham Fine gives his opening statement during the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, as codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong sit to the side, 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>“This is not politics as usual,” he said, “this is politics as profit.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This is not politics as usual,” he said, “this is politics as profit.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty, and none spoke to reporters after opening statements on Tuesday. While each of their attorneys painted a different picture of what actually happened between the parties, they all agreed that Mario Juarez — the Duongs’ former business partner and the prosecution’s key witness — should not be believed.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty, and none spoke to reporters after opening statements on Tuesday. While each of their attorneys painted a different picture of what actually happened between the parties, they all agreed that Mario Juarez — the Duongs’ former business partner and the prosecution’s key witness — should not be believed.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The narrator of this story is that person named Mario Juarez, and what you will quickly discover is that the story that has been introduced to you is pure fiction,” Thao’s attorney, Jeffrey Tsai, said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The narrator of this story is that person named Mario Juarez, and what you will quickly discover is that the story that has been introduced to you is pure fiction,” Thao’s attorney, Jeffrey Tsai, said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The trial comes more than two years after the FBI executed early morning raids of the home Thao shared with Jones, as well as Andy and David Duong’s homes and California Waste Solutions’ headquarters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The trial comes more than two years after the FBI executed early morning raids of the home Thao shared with Jones, as well as Andy and David Duong’s homes and California Waste Solutions’ headquarters. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The operation added fuel to a campaign already underway to recall Thao. She was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12012357/sheng-thao-accepts-defeat-in-contentious-oakland-mayoral-recall\">removed from office\u003c/a> in November 2024 and indicted on the bribery, fraud and conspiracy charges shortly after. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The operation added fuel to a campaign already underway to recall Thao. She was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12012357/sheng-thao-accepts-defeat-in-contentious-oakland-mayoral-recall\">removed from office\u003c/a> in November 2024 and indicted on the bribery, fraud and conspiracy charges shortly after. \u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sheng Thao was not for sale\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tsai painted Thao as a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11931400/sheng-thao-oaklands-next-mayor\">young, determined politician\u003c/a> who came into office in January 2023 prepared to tackle major challenges facing the city of Oakland — from a homelessness crisis and budget deficit to gun violence.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tsai painted Thao as a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11931400/sheng-thao-oaklands-next-mayor\">young, determined politician\u003c/a> who came into office in January 2023 prepared to tackle major challenges facing the city of Oakland — from a homelessness crisis and budget deficit to gun violence.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao had known Juarez from her years as a staffer in Oakland City Hall, but Tsai said Thao kept him at a comfortable distance. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tsai alleged Juarez repeatedly tried to offer Thao support throughout her 2022 mayoral campaign. When they finally met in October, just weeks before Election Day, Juarez allegedly told Thao that labor unions sent him to help her win, and he planned to produce a political mailer in support of her race.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tsai alleged Juarez repeatedly tried to offer Thao support throughout her 2022 mayoral campaign. When they finally met in October, just weeks before Election Day, Juarez allegedly told Thao that labor unions sent him to help her win, and he planned to produce a political mailer in support of her race.\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 codefendants 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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"\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\"/>\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 codefendants 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>“There was certainly no agreement for any bribe of any kind, no discussion of $300,000 or modular housing units,” Tsai said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tsai said that after her election, Juarez repeatedly appealed to Thao, advocating for city contracts for companies he was affiliated with, including ABC Security Service Inc. — which provides \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2025/12/17/oakland-leaders-reluctantly-extend-security-contract-again/\">security services\u003c/a> at city properties — and urging her to appoint his favored candidates to top city positions. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tsai said that after her election, Juarez repeatedly appealed to Thao, advocating for city contracts for companies he was affiliated with, including ABC Security Service Inc. — which provides \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2025/12/17/oakland-leaders-reluctantly-extend-security-contract-again/\">security services\u003c/a> at city properties — and urging her to appoint his favored candidates to top city positions. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tsai said Thao repeatedly rebuked his requests and had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The evidence will show that the real Sheng Thao is not the profile of someone who would sell her office that she fought so hard to earn in the first place,” Tsai told the jury.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jones’ defense attorney, Mark Goldrosen, spent his opening on behalf of Thao’s longtime romantic partner defending the “government relations” role Jones held with the container home startup Juarez and Andy Duong founded that’s at the center of the case. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Jones’ defense attorney, Mark Goldrosen, spent his opening on behalf of Thao’s longtime romantic partner defending the “government relations” role Jones held with the container home startup Juarez and Andy Duong founded that’s at the center of the case. \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-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\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. 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-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\"/>\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. 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>Goldrosen said Evolutionary Homes aligned with Jones’ interests and qualifications, both in reducing homelessness and working with local governments. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Like Thao, David Duong’s attorney told the court he was oblivious to any scheme. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jeff Schenk described David as a hardworking immigrant from Vietnam and a legitimate businessman. He held the financial power, Schenk said, but had no knowledge of any bribery scheme or deals that his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. \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 codefendant 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>None of the other defendants’ stories, however, seemed to vindicate Andy Duong — who prosecutors allege spearheaded negotiations in the scheme with Juarez. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>His counsel, Winston Chan, acknowledged that some of the text communication he had with Juarez, taken out of context, couldn’t be denied. However, he said the government had crafted a story based on “cherry-picked” messages and notes. He said Duong’s texts cheering Thao’s victory were not unusual for a politically engaged voter, and his response to Juarez saying Thao would buy housing units from Evolutionary Homes reflected a startup founder’s shock and excitement that a city might invest. \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 codefendant 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>“Not one bit of these facts equals the bribery scheme the government is alleging,” Chan said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Whether the pieces of evidence the prosecution presents add up to the story of bribery the government has alleged “lives or dies” on Juarez’s testimony, Chan told the jury, and whether, “when he takes the stand, you believe what he says.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Fine got ahead of the criticism in his own opening statement, saying of Juarez: “You’ll hear and see, he is no angel.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, he said, the Evolutionary Homes cofounder would “give you an insider’s view of this bribery scheme.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When you hear Juarez’s testimony, will see how it lines up with all of that other evidence,” Fine told the court.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During the first day of testimony on Thursday, prosecutors plan to call Leigh Hanson, who served as Thao’s chief of staff. Hanson parted with the city shortly after Kevin Jenkins took office as interim mayor following Thao’s recall and subsequently \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/04/01/leigh-hanson-oakland-mayor-chief-of-staff-whistleblower-lawsuit/\">filed a lawsuit\u003c/a> against Oakland alleging that she was wrongfully fired.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During the first day of testimony on Thursday, prosecutors plan to call Leigh Hanson, who served as Thao’s chief of staff. Hanson parted with the city shortly after Kevin Jenkins took office as interim mayor following Thao’s recall and subsequently \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/04/01/leigh-hanson-oakland-mayor-chief-of-staff-whistleblower-lawsuit/\">filed a lawsuit\u003c/a> against Oakland alleging that she was wrongfully fired.\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 report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "In the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, prosecutors claimed Thao put her political power up for sale, while defense attorneys attempted to impeach the government’s star witness. ",
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"title": "Ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s Trial Brings Alleged Quid Pro Quo Into Focus | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>More than a year after former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> and three codefendants were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022517/fbi-raids-home-san-leandro-council-member-joined-vietnam-trip-sheng-thao\">indicted\u003c/a> in an alleged bribery scheme that roiled the city’s political circles, their \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\">long-awaited trial\u003c/a> got underway Wednesday with five very different storylines. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, and father and son Andy and David Duong engaged in a quid pro quo: In the run-up to the 2022 mayoral election, the Duongs would fund a negative ad campaign against Thao’s opponents and pay Jones $300,000 for a no-show job. In exchange, Thao would use her power if elected mayor to give favorable treatment to the Duongs’ business, California Waste Solutions, as well as to a housing startup called Evolutionary Homes that sought to turn shipping containers into homes for people exiting homelessness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Sheng Thao was a public official on the take, and she and Andre Jones were open for business,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine said during his opening statement to the court. “David and Andy Duong were looking for results and were willing to pay bribes to get them.”\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_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104353\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Assistant United States Attorney Abraham Fine gives his opening statement during the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, as codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong sit to the side, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is not politics as usual,” he said, “this is politics as profit.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty, and none spoke to reporters after opening statements on Tuesday. While each of their attorneys painted a different picture of what actually happened between the parties, they all agreed that Mario Juarez — the Duongs’ former business partner and the prosecution’s key witness — should not be believed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The narrator of this story is that person named Mario Juarez, and what you will quickly discover is that the story that has been introduced to you is pure fiction,” Thao’s attorney, Jeffrey Tsai, said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The trial comes more than two years after the FBI executed early morning raids of the home Thao shared with Jones, as well as Andy and David Duong’s homes and California Waste Solutions’ headquarters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The operation added fuel to a campaign already underway to recall Thao. She was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12012357/sheng-thao-accepts-defeat-in-contentious-oakland-mayoral-recall\">removed from office\u003c/a> in November 2024 and indicted on the bribery, fraud and conspiracy charges shortly after. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sheng Thao was not for sale\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai painted Thao as a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11931400/sheng-thao-oaklands-next-mayor\">young, determined politician\u003c/a> who came into office in January 2023 prepared to tackle major challenges facing the city of Oakland — from a homelessness crisis and budget deficit to gun violence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao had known Juarez from her years as a staffer in Oakland City Hall, but Tsai said Thao kept him at a comfortable distance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai alleged Juarez repeatedly tried to offer Thao support throughout her 2022 mayoral campaign. When they finally met in October, just weeks before Election Day, Juarez allegedly told Thao that labor unions sent him to help her win, and he planned to produce a political mailer in support of her race.\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 codefendants 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>“There was certainly no agreement for any bribe of any kind, no discussion of $300,000 or modular housing units,” Tsai said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai said that after her election, Juarez repeatedly appealed to Thao, advocating for city contracts for companies he was affiliated with, including ABC Security Service Inc. — which provides \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2025/12/17/oakland-leaders-reluctantly-extend-security-contract-again/\">security services\u003c/a> at city properties — and urging her to appoint his favored candidates to top city positions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai said Thao repeatedly rebuked his requests and had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The evidence will show that the real Sheng Thao is not the profile of someone who would sell her office that she fought so hard to earn in the first place,” Tsai told the jury.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andre Jones had a ‘real job’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jones’ defense attorney, Mark Goldrosen, spent his opening on behalf of Thao’s longtime romantic partner defending the “government relations” role Jones held with the container home startup Juarez and Andy Duong founded that’s at the center of the case. \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-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.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. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Goldrosen said Evolutionary Homes aligned with Jones’ interests and qualifications, both in reducing homelessness and working with local governments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He was hired to serve as a consultant and would be paid on commission. But as the company got off the ground, Goldrosen said he was paid advances, totaling $75,000, to “keep him available” to Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">David Duong: A normal businessman\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Like Thao, David Duong’s attorney told the court he was oblivious to any scheme. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jeff Schenk described David as a hardworking immigrant from Vietnam and a legitimate businessman. He held the financial power, Schenk said, 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\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 codefendant 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>He referred the jury to a series of texts between Andy Duong and Juarez in March 2023, in which Juarez asked Andy if they should “tell David” about updates to their alleged arrangement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If David Duong was a partner in crime … why, five months after the beginning, does Juarez have to ask if they should share?” Schenk said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andy Duong didn’t break any laws\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>None of the other defendants’ stories, however, seemed to vindicate Andy Duong — who prosecutors allege spearheaded negotiations in the scheme with Juarez. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His counsel, Winston Chan, acknowledged that some of the text communication he had with Juarez, taken out of context, couldn’t be denied. However, he said the government had crafted a story based on “cherry-picked” messages and notes. He said Duong’s texts cheering Thao’s victory were not unusual for a politically engaged voter, and his response to Juarez saying Thao would buy housing units from Evolutionary Homes reflected a startup founder’s shock and excitement that a city might invest. \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 codefendant 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>“Not one bit of these facts equals the bribery scheme the government is alleging,” Chan said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Whether the pieces of evidence the prosecution presents add up to the story of bribery the government has alleged “lives or dies” on Juarez’s testimony, Chan told the jury, and whether, “when he takes the stand, you believe what he says.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mario Juarez: A ‘consummate hustler’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Throughout the day, defense attorneys repeatedly undermined Juarez’s credibility, describing him as a “consummate hustler” and “vengeful” with a tendency to tell “half truths.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When the source of the information is unreliable, you see that the allegations fall apart,” Schenk said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fine got ahead of the criticism in his own opening statement, saying of Juarez: “You’ll hear and see, he is no angel.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, he said, the Evolutionary Homes cofounder would “give you an insider’s view of this bribery scheme.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He’ll talk about the evidence, what was said in the meetings,” Fine told the jury, “tell you some about his history of doing dirty work for the Duong family.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fine pledged that throughout the trial, prosecutors planned to present copious text messages, taped phone calls, video recordings and financial records chronicling the conspiracy and bribery scheme — and corroborating Juarez’s claims. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When you hear Juarez’s testimony, will see how it lines up with all of that other evidence,” Fine told the court.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the first day of testimony on Thursday, prosecutors plan to call Leigh Hanson, who served as Thao’s chief of staff. Hanson parted with the city shortly after Kevin Jenkins took office as interim mayor following Thao’s recall and subsequently \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/04/01/leigh-hanson-oakland-mayor-chief-of-staff-whistleblower-lawsuit/\">filed a lawsuit\u003c/a> against Oakland alleging that she was wrongfully fired.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-is-going-on-trial-for-bribery-heres-what-you-need-to-know",
"title": "Ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Is Going on Trial for Bribery: Here’s What You Need to Know",
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"headTitle": "Ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Is Going on Trial for Bribery: Here’s What You Need to Know | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>As former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> prepares to go to trial next week — accused of participating in an alleged bribery scheme with the owners of Oakland’s recycling contractor — a key debate is expected to loom over the proceedings: whether the prosecution’s star witness is telling the truth or if the government built its case on the claims of an unreliable informant. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao, 41, her longtime partner, Andre Jones, 55, California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong, 68, and his son, Andy Duong, 37, face charges of bribery, conspiracy, and fraud. Andy Duong has also been charged with lying to the FBI. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao pledged favorable treatment to the Duongs’ businesses in exchange for a promise of $300,000 paid to Jones and negative political mailers in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Each defendant has pleaded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022612/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-3-others-charged-with-bribery-sprawling-corruption-probe\">not guilty\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they have copious evidence to prove the alleged scheme, including text messages, emails, Apple notes, taped phone calls and video recordings. But they’ll also be relying on the testimony of a key cooperating witness whose checkered past has become a primary focus of the defense. \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=y907VV5aF78&t=1s\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The witness, Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, co-founded a housing company with the Duongs that’s at the center of the alleged conspiracy. He became an informant in the FBI’s investigation after a falling out with the family and has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme. He’s expected to testify about his relationships with the defendants, as well as his role in the housing company. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys have raised questions about Juarez’s credibility and what they’ve described as his “decadeslong history of fraud” — including instances where they say he falsely accused business partners of illegal activity in an effort to escape liability for his own actions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While primarily focused on the Duongs and their relationship with Thao, the prosecution has also exposed behind-the-scenes interactions between the family and other elected officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A list of high-profile politicians has been named as potential witnesses who could testify in the trial — including Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins and former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another elected official, former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo, has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in a related case and is expected to take the stand as a government witness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jury selection begins Oct. 13 with opening statements planned immediately after. The trial is estimated to last around six weeks, wrapping up around Thanksgiving. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The alleged quid pro quo\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege that in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election, Thao, Jones and the Duongs began discussing a deal that would help get Thao elected and benefit the Duongs’ companies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the fall of 2022, the Duongs had recently gone into business with Juarez on Evolutionary Homes, a company that aimed to convert shipping containers into housing for people experiencing homelessness. The plan was to market the container units to local Bay Area governments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao at the time was an Oakland City Council member running for mayor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-id=\"12103337\" 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\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1805\" height=\"889\" data-id=\"12103161\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103161\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg 1805w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-160x79.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-1536x757.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1805px) 100vw, 1805px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot from the website Mario Juarez allegedly created to attack Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, accessed by the Wayback Machine on Nov. 7, 2022. (Courtesy of Wayback Machine)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege the Duongs agreed to finance campaign mailers that negatively portrayed Thao’s opponents in the race, Loren Taylor and Ignacio de la Fuente, and pay her longtime partner Jones $300,000 through a no-show job at Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In exchange, they say, Thao committed the city of Oakland to purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes and agreed to help appoint people hand-picked by the Duongs and Juarez to director-level city positions if she won the election. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Duongs’ recycling company, California Waste Solutions, already had a contract with Oakland to provide curbside recycling services, and Thao allegedly agreed that as mayor, she would also extend it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When it became evident that Thao was going to win, prosecutors say Juarez texted Andy Duong, “So we may go to jail … But we are $100 million richer.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong allegedly replied, “Money buys everything.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"alignleft size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"758\" height=\"577\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/indictment-texts-6651ab1e.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103464\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/indictment-texts-6651ab1e.png 758w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/indictment-texts-6651ab1e-160x122.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 758px) 100vw, 758px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A text message exchange between Andy Duong and Mario Juarez, identified as Co-Conspirator 1, according to the federal indictment against former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. (Courtesy of U.S. District Court)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>In the months that followed, prosecutors say Juarez began paying Jones, together with money from David and Andy Duong. And they say the defendants began discussing how to expand their deal, with Jones being paid as much as $3 million if the city purchased 300 housing units from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At one meeting, Thao allegedly proposed using Oakland’s emergency powers to make it easier for the city to buy the container houses outside of a typical competitive bidding process. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In March 2023, Juarez and Andy Duong began discussing Larry Gallegos as a potential candidate to serve in the city’s Department of Housing and Community Development — a position prosecutors say they believed would help further the Duongs’ businesses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At their behest, prosecutors say Thao pressured the interim city administrator to appoint Gallegos. Despite the city administrator believing Gallegos didn’t have enough experience for the job, prosecutors say he appointed him interim deputy director of the department the following day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr />\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=v2%3A2PACX-1vTRnkCBK8-xyeC_U6_qwyM9Es3WzLEpRhXB-1oELWuROivaP70Gkh-ll0Dw4g8nEJIEUkVN774ITfpE&font=Default&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&width=100%25&height=650\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But prosecutors say Thao’s relationship with the Duongs began taking a turn after she went on a trade delegation to Vietnam in late July and early August 2023 that was sponsored by a business association chaired by David Duong, and a reporter began asking questions about Azevedo’s suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes on the trip. Thao’s staffers are expected to testify they heard her telling David Duong that if a story came out about inappropriate conduct on the trip, she could no longer work with him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Several weeks later, prosecutors allege, David Duong, Andy Duong and Juarez met with an associate of the reporter at a restaurant in Livermore and gave the associate a check for $10,000, drawn from California Waste Solutions’ bank account, to kill the story. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By late November 2023, David Duong told his son and Juarez that Thao wasn’t ready to purchase the container homes and was waiting for another city or county government to order them first, prosecutors say. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103404\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103404\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong attends 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\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103403\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103403\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong talks with attendees after 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\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then, in May 2024, the relationship between Juarez and the Duongs imploded. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Juarez’s version of events, he told police that a group of ten men at California Waste Solutions’ offices beat him up in an attack ordered by the Duongs. In the Duongs’ version, Juarez had failed to deliver on his end of the deal and had shown up at the office, demanding more money and “holding them for hours.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A little more than a month later, Juarez sat down for an interview with the FBI. Agents executed search warrants at Thao’s, David Duong’s and Andy Duong’s homes two weeks later. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The defense’s case\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys are expected to work to undermine Juarez’s credibility as a witness by pointing to what they have described as “a steady pattern of dishonesty and fraud.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In motions filed last year, defense attorneys argued that the FBI had relied heavily on Juarez’s claims to secure search warrants of their client’s property, without providing the full details of Juarez’s background to the judges who signed off on them. Evidence seized should be suppressed, they argued. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The attorneys wrote that Juarez had been sued approximately 33 times between 1992 and 2022, including numerous fraud cases involving former business partners.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103158\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents raid a home on Maiden Lane where Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao allegedly lives in Oakland on Thursday, June 20, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>They also described a documented “counter-attack history” — instances where Juarez alleged misconduct by others in response to accusations or lawsuits lodged against him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez, they said, “has repeatedly falsely accused business partners of crimes and other wrongdoing in efforts to escape liability for his own actions — just as he did here.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In one example cited by attorneys, Juarez filed a restraining order against a man who sued him in August 2011, claiming Juarez shorted him and his wife out of $220,000 they loaned him. A year earlier, Juarez filed a different restraining order against an attorney following an altercation inside a property in Oakland’s Fruitvale district. The attorney was representing Juarez’s landlord, who was trying to evict him and others from the property.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chief District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied the motions. But in a hearing several months later, she cautioned prosecutors that questions about Juarez’s credibility could pose a major issue for their case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You could have as your main witness someone who himself is a liar. That is the problem,” she said at the hearing in September. “What I can tell you is it is a huge mess, and if in fact there is fire where there’s so much smoke, then the jury gets to hear about the credibility of this individual.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">High-profile officials caught in defendants’ orbit\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While only one other elected official has been charged with participating in a related Evolutionary Homes bribery scheme to date, prosecutors have listed several high-profile East Bay politicians as potential witnesses in Thao’s case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they plan to introduce evidence at trial showing that Juarez and Andy Duong also bribed former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo. In February, Azevedo \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073176/former-san-leandro-city-councilmember-pleads-guilty-in-federal-bribery-case\">pleaded guilty\u003c/a> in a related case that involved promises of kickback payments in exchange for ensuring the city of San Leandro purchased container home units from Evolutionary Homes.\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/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103155\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bryan Azevedo, San Leandro City Council member for District 2, during a council meeting on Aug. 2, 2025. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Government attorneys say they intend to show documents, recordings and witness testimony demonstrating that Andy Duong and Juarez had discussions with Oakland City Councilmembers Kevin Jenkins, Rebecca Kaplan, and Nikki Fortunato Bas — now an Alameda County supervisor — as well as Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, in furtherance of the charged conspiracy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez, prosecutors say, will testify that he and Andy Duong discussed potential bribery deals with other city council members in San Leandro, Berkeley and Alameda. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez is also expected to testify that Andy Duong told him he took photos and recorded videos of politicians so he could later use them as leverage or blackmail. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103409\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks with KQED politics reporters Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer for Political Breakdown at the KQED offices in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/11/20/ag-rob-bonta-told-he-was-in-compromising-video-amid-east-bay-corruption-probe/\">May 2024 letter\u003c/a> to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Juarez claimed Andy Duong had a recording of Bonta in “a compromising situation.” Court records show the FBI interviewed Bonta in September 2024 as part of the investigation into Thao and the Duongs. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065004/california-ag-rob-bonta-wont-rule-out-a-run-for-governor-amid-campaign-fund-questions\">Bonta told KQED\u003c/a> he spent $468,000 in legal fees so an attorney could guide him through that process.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Over a year ago, maybe 14 months ago, the federal government reached out to me and said that they thought I may have information that would be relevant to the investigation,” Bonta said. “Having never done this before, I wanted to make sure I had an attorney who could guide me through the process and ensure that I provided everything that could be helpful.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When asked about the letter, Bonta told KQED he had received it, but said that “the reference to any video is absolutely not true. It’s false, and there is no video.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bonta has not been listed as a potential witness in the trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have filed transcripts, videos and audio recordings of phone calls with elected officials that FBI agents seized from Andy Duong’s phone, which appear to have been recorded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">without the politicians’ knowledge\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Two of them capture candid conversations in 2024 between Andy Duong and Jenkins, as well as with Bas, when she was president of the Oakland City Council. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both politicians are included on the government’s list of potential witnesses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Also on the witness list is former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson, who Thao directed to tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom in January 2024, according to the indictment. Johnson \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from his position with the city in May \u003c/a>amid a text messaging scandal that prosecutors attempted, unsuccessfully, to bar defense attorneys from asking about during the trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other high-profile staffers who could be called to testify are Oakland’s current interim city administrator, Betsy Lake; former interim city administrators Harold Duffey and Steven Falk; Thao’s former chiefs of staff, Renia Webb and Leigh Hanson, as well as Brandon Harami, a former mayoral staffer who also worked on Thao’s 2022 campaign for mayor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other allegations \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Court filings in the case have described other alleged bribery beyond the specific scheme that prosecutors hope to prove at trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The jury will be permitted to view two October 2022 cell phone videos of what appears to be Juarez toasting the formation of Evolutionary Homes. Sitting in the California Waste Solutions conference room are members of the Duong family. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In one of the videos, Juarez appears to describe payments the Duongs made in 2014 after winning the company’s recycling contract with the city. \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=SQfb9Mw6Qsc\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The day after you won the city of Oakland contract, you were there, paying everybody,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video. “I was in your office. And — $50,000, $100,000 — whatever it was. And you said, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I just want to do business with you.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the video, members of the Duong family do not correct Juarez when he mentions payments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a July court filing, prosecutors described the video, saying that Juarez is expected to testify that his comments were in reference to bribes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The government expects Juarez to testify that this statement refers to the Duongs giving cash to multiple public officials in exchange for their assistance in helping CWS [California Waste Solutions] secure the Oakland recycling contract in 2014,” the filing reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys either declined or did not respond to KQED’s requests for comment on the video. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Further allegations Juarez has made to the FBI about the Duongs paying elected officials are summarized in an August motion filed by attorneys representing David Duong. According to the filing, Juarez also told FBI investigators he had seen the Duongs delete evidence from a security system and that the family used vague consultant contracts to launder money to various individuals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys attempted to have those allegations excluded from the trial. That motion was denied.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the filing, Juarez said he saw a “line of people” at California Waste Solutions’ office “waiting to be paid cash” by David Duong.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Individual 1] was paid $300,000 in cash in a black gym bag. Juarez knew the amount of cash because Juarez helped count the money,” the filing reads. “The cash to [Individual 1] was definitely for his help in obtaining the CWS contract; D. Duong told [Individual 1] something to the effect of ‘Congratulations, we got the contract, here is your money.’”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> prepares to go to trial next week — accused of participating in an alleged bribery scheme with the owners of Oakland’s recycling contractor — a key debate is expected to loom over the proceedings: whether the prosecution’s star witness is telling the truth or if the government built its case on the claims of an unreliable informant. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao, 41, her longtime partner, Andre Jones, 55, California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong, 68, and his son, Andy Duong, 37, face charges of bribery, conspiracy, and fraud. Andy Duong has also been charged with lying to the FBI. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao, 41, her longtime partner, Andre Jones, 55, California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong, 68, and his son, Andy Duong, 37, face charges of bribery, conspiracy, and fraud. Andy Duong has also been charged with lying to the FBI. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao pledged favorable treatment to the Duongs’ businesses in exchange for a promise of $300,000 paid to Jones and negative political mailers in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they have copious evidence to prove the alleged scheme, including text messages, emails, Apple notes, taped phone calls and video recordings. But they’ll also be relying on the testimony of a key cooperating witness whose checkered past has become a primary focus of the defense. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The witness, Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, co-founded a housing company with the Duongs that’s at the center of the alleged conspiracy. He became an informant in the FBI’s investigation after a falling out with the family and has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme. He’s expected to testify about his relationships with the defendants, as well as his role in the housing company. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While primarily focused on the Duongs and their relationship with Thao, the prosecution has also exposed behind-the-scenes interactions between the family and other elected officials. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A list of high-profile politicians has been named as potential witnesses who could testify in the trial — including Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins and former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another elected official, former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo, has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in a related case and is expected to take the stand as a government witness.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jury selection begins Oct. 13 with opening statements planned immediately after. The trial is estimated to last around six weeks, wrapping up around Thanksgiving. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege that in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election, Thao, Jones and the Duongs began discussing a deal that would help get Thao elected and benefit the Duongs’ companies. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the fall of 2022, the Duongs had recently gone into business with Juarez on Evolutionary Homes, a company that aimed to convert shipping containers into housing for people experiencing homelessness. The plan was to market the container units to local Bay Area governments. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege the Duongs agreed to finance campaign mailers that negatively portrayed Thao’s opponents in the race, Loren Taylor and Ignacio de la Fuente, and pay her longtime partner Jones $300,000 through a no-show job at Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In exchange, they say, Thao committed the city of Oakland to purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes and agreed to help appoint people hand-picked by the Duongs and Juarez to director-level city positions if she won the election. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In exchange, they say, Thao committed the city of Oakland to purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes and agreed to help appoint people hand-picked by the Duongs and Juarez to director-level city positions if she won the election. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Duongs’ recycling company, California Waste Solutions, already had a contract with Oakland to provide curbside recycling services, and Thao allegedly agreed that as mayor, she would also extend it. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When it became evident that Thao was going to win, prosecutors say Juarez texted Andy Duong, “So we may go to jail … But we are $100 million richer.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Andy Duong allegedly replied, “Money buys everything.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the months that followed, prosecutors say Juarez began paying Jones, together with money from David and Andy Duong. And they say the defendants began discussing how to expand their deal, with Jones being paid as much as $3 million if the city purchased 300 housing units from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At one meeting, Thao allegedly proposed using Oakland’s emergency powers to make it easier for the city to buy the container houses outside of a typical competitive bidding process. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In March 2023, Juarez and Andy Duong began discussing Larry Gallegos as a potential candidate to serve in the city’s Department of Housing and Community Development — a position prosecutors say they believed would help further the Duongs’ businesses. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But prosecutors say Thao’s relationship with the Duongs began taking a turn after she went on a trade delegation to Vietnam in late July and early August 2023 that was sponsored by a business association chaired by David Duong, and a reporter began asking questions about Azevedo’s suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes on the trip. Thao’s staffers are expected to testify they heard her telling David Duong that if a story came out about inappropriate conduct on the trip, she could no longer work with him. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>By late November 2023, David Duong told his son and Juarez that Thao wasn’t ready to purchase the container homes and was waiting for another city or county government to order them first, prosecutors say. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103403\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong talks with attendees after a private screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Then, in May 2024, the relationship between Juarez and the Duongs imploded. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In Juarez’s version of events, he told police that a group of ten men at California Waste Solutions’ offices beat him up in an attack ordered by the Duongs. In the Duongs’ version, Juarez had failed to deliver on his end of the deal and had shown up at the office, demanding more money and “holding them for hours.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A little more than a month later, Juarez sat down for an interview with the FBI. Agents executed search warrants at Thao’s, David Duong’s and Andy Duong’s homes two weeks later. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys are expected to work to undermine Juarez’s credibility as a witness by pointing to what they have described as “a steady pattern of dishonesty and fraud.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In motions filed last year, defense attorneys argued that the FBI had relied heavily on Juarez’s claims to secure search warrants of their client’s property, without providing the full details of Juarez’s background to the judges who signed off on them. Evidence seized should be suppressed, they argued. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In motions filed last year, defense attorneys argued that the FBI had relied heavily on Juarez’s claims to secure search warrants of their client’s property, without providing the full details of Juarez’s background to the judges who signed off on them. Evidence seized should be suppressed, they argued. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The attorneys wrote that 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\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103158\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents raid a home on Maiden Lane where Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao allegedly lives in Oakland on Thursday, June 20, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They also described a documented “counter-attack history” — instances where Juarez alleged misconduct by others in response to accusations or lawsuits lodged against him. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez, they said, “has repeatedly falsely accused business partners of crimes and other wrongdoing in efforts to escape liability for his own actions — just as he did here.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In one example cited by attorneys, Juarez filed a restraining order against a man who sued him in August 2011, claiming Juarez shorted him and his wife out of $220,000 they loaned him. A year earlier, Juarez filed a different restraining order against an attorney following an altercation inside a property in Oakland’s Fruitvale district. The attorney was representing Juarez’s landlord, who was trying to evict him and others from the property.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You could have as your main witness someone who himself is a liar. That is the problem,” she said at the hearing in September. “What I can tell you is it is a huge mess, and if in fact there is fire where there’s so much smoke, then the jury gets to hear about the credibility of this individual.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While only one other elected official has been charged with participating in a related Evolutionary Homes bribery scheme to date, prosecutors have listed several high-profile East Bay politicians as potential witnesses in Thao’s case. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they plan to introduce evidence at trial showing that Juarez and Andy Duong also bribed former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo. In February, Azevedo \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073176/former-san-leandro-city-councilmember-pleads-guilty-in-federal-bribery-case\">pleaded guilty\u003c/a> in a related case that involved promises of kickback payments in exchange for ensuring the city of San Leandro purchased container home units from Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they plan to introduce evidence at trial showing that Juarez and Andy Duong also bribed former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo. In February, Azevedo \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073176/former-san-leandro-city-councilmember-pleads-guilty-in-federal-bribery-case\">pleaded guilty\u003c/a> in a related case that involved promises of kickback payments in exchange for ensuring the city of San Leandro purchased container home units from Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Government attorneys say they intend to show documents, recordings and witness testimony demonstrating that Andy Duong and Juarez had discussions with Oakland City Councilmembers Kevin Jenkins, Rebecca Kaplan, and Nikki Fortunato Bas — now an Alameda County supervisor — as well as Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, in furtherance of the charged conspiracy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Government attorneys say they intend to show documents, recordings and witness testimony demonstrating that Andy Duong and Juarez had discussions with Oakland City Councilmembers Kevin Jenkins, Rebecca Kaplan, and Nikki Fortunato Bas — now an Alameda County supervisor — as well as Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, in furtherance of the charged conspiracy. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez, prosecutors say, will testify that he and Andy Duong discussed potential bribery deals with other city council members in San Leandro, Berkeley and Alameda. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez is also expected to testify that Andy Duong told him he took photos and recorded videos of politicians so he could later use them as leverage or blackmail. \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/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103409\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks with KQED politics reporters Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer for Political Breakdown at the KQED offices in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2024.\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 \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/11/20/ag-rob-bonta-told-he-was-in-compromising-video-amid-east-bay-corruption-probe/\">May 2024 letter\u003c/a> to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Juarez claimed Andy Duong had a recording of Bonta in “a compromising situation.” Court records show the FBI interviewed Bonta in September 2024 as part of the investigation into Thao and the Duongs. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065004/california-ag-rob-bonta-wont-rule-out-a-run-for-governor-amid-campaign-fund-questions\">Bonta told KQED\u003c/a> he spent $468,000 in legal fees so an attorney could guide him through that process.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/11/20/ag-rob-bonta-told-he-was-in-compromising-video-amid-east-bay-corruption-probe/\">May 2024 letter\u003c/a> to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Juarez claimed Andy Duong had a recording of Bonta in “a compromising situation.” Court records show the FBI interviewed Bonta in September 2024 as part of the investigation into Thao and the Duongs. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065004/california-ag-rob-bonta-wont-rule-out-a-run-for-governor-amid-campaign-fund-questions\">Bonta told KQED\u003c/a> he spent $468,000 in legal fees so an attorney could guide him through that process.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Over a year ago, maybe 14 months ago, the federal government reached out to me and said that they thought I may have information that would be relevant to the investigation,” Bonta said. “Having never done this before, I wanted to make sure I had an attorney who could guide me through the process and ensure that I provided everything that could be helpful.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When asked about the letter, Bonta told KQED he had received it, but said that “the reference to any video is absolutely not true. It’s false, and there is no video.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When asked about the letter, Bonta told KQED he had received it, but said that “the reference to any video is absolutely not true. It’s false, and there is no video.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bonta has not been listed as a potential witness in the trial. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have filed transcripts, videos and audio recordings of phone calls with elected officials that FBI agents seized from Andy Duong’s phone, which appear to have been recorded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">without the politicians’ knowledge\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have filed transcripts, videos and audio recordings of phone calls with elected officials that FBI agents seized from Andy Duong’s phone, which appear to have been recorded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">without the politicians’ knowledge\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Two of them capture candid conversations in 2024 between Andy Duong and Jenkins, as well as with Bas, when she was president of the Oakland City Council. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Both politicians are included on the government’s list of potential witnesses. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Also on the witness list is former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson, who Thao directed to tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom in January 2024, according to the indictment. Johnson \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from his position with the city in May \u003c/a>amid a text messaging scandal that prosecutors attempted, unsuccessfully, to bar defense attorneys from asking about during the trial. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Also on the witness list is former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson, who Thao directed to tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom in January 2024, according to the indictment. Johnson \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from his position with the city in May \u003c/a>amid a text messaging scandal that prosecutors attempted, unsuccessfully, to bar defense attorneys from asking about during the trial. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other high-profile staffers who could be called to testify are Oakland’s current interim city administrator, Betsy Lake; former interim city administrators Harold Duffey and Steven Falk; Thao’s former chiefs of staff, Renia Webb and Leigh Hanson, as well as Brandon Harami, a former mayoral staffer who also worked on Thao’s 2022 campaign for mayor. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Other high-profile staffers who could be called to testify are Oakland’s current interim city administrator, Betsy Lake; former interim city administrators Harold Duffey and Steven Falk; Thao’s former chiefs of staff, Renia Webb and Leigh Hanson, as well as Brandon Harami, a former mayoral staffer who also worked on Thao’s 2022 campaign for mayor. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Court filings in the case have described other alleged bribery beyond the specific scheme that prosecutors hope to prove at trial. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Court filings in the case have described other alleged bribery beyond the specific scheme that prosecutors hope to prove at trial. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The jury will be permitted to view two October 2022 cell phone videos of what appears to be Juarez toasting the formation of Evolutionary Homes. Sitting in the California Waste Solutions conference room are members of the Duong family. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The jury will be permitted to view two October 2022 cell phone videos of what appears to be Juarez toasting the formation of Evolutionary Homes. Sitting in the California Waste Solutions conference room are members of the Duong family. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In one of the videos, Juarez appears to describe payments the Duongs made in 2014 after winning the company’s recycling contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In one of the videos, Juarez appears to describe payments the Duongs made in 2014 after winning the company’s recycling contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The day after you won the city of Oakland contract, you were there, paying everybody,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video. “I was in your office. And — $50,000, $100,000 — whatever it was. And you said, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I just want to do business with you.’” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The day after you won the city of Oakland contract, you were there, paying everybody,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video. “I was in your office. And — $50,000, $100,000 — whatever it was. And you said, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I just want to do business with you.’” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the video, members of the Duong family do not correct Juarez when he mentions payments. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a July court filing, prosecutors described the video, saying that Juarez is expected to testify that his comments were in reference to bribes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The government expects Juarez to testify that this statement refers to the Duongs giving cash to multiple public officials in exchange for their assistance in helping CWS [California Waste Solutions] secure the Oakland recycling contract in 2014,” the filing reads. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The government expects Juarez to testify that this statement refers to the Duongs giving cash to multiple public officials in exchange for their assistance in helping CWS [California Waste Solutions] secure the Oakland recycling contract in 2014,” the filing reads. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys either declined or did not respond to KQED’s requests for comment on the video. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Further allegations Juarez has made to the FBI about the Duongs paying elected officials are summarized in an August motion filed by attorneys representing David Duong. According to the filing, Juarez also told FBI investigators he had seen the Duongs delete evidence from a security system and that the family used vague consultant contracts to launder money to various individuals.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Further allegations Juarez has made to the FBI about the Duongs paying elected officials are summarized in an August motion filed by attorneys representing David Duong. According to the filing, Juarez also told FBI investigators he had seen the Duongs delete evidence from a security system and that the family used vague consultant contracts to launder money to various individuals.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys attempted to have those allegations excluded from the trial. That motion was denied.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys attempted to have those allegations excluded from the trial. That motion was denied.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to the filing, Juarez said he saw a “line of people” at California Waste Solutions’ office “waiting to be paid cash” by David Duong.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>According to the filing, Juarez said he saw a “line of people” at California Waste Solutions’ office “waiting to be paid cash” by David Duong.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[Individual 1] was paid $300,000 in cash in a black gym bag. Juarez knew the amount of cash because Juarez helped count the money,” the filing reads. “The cash to [Individual 1] was definitely for his help in obtaining the CWS contract; D. Duong told [Individual 1] something to the effect of ‘Congratulations, we got the contract, here is your money.’”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“[Individual 1] was paid $300,000 in cash in a black gym bag. Juarez knew the amount of cash because Juarez helped count the money,” the filing reads. “The cash to [Individual 1] was definitely for his help in obtaining the CWS contract; D. Duong told [Individual 1] something to the effect of ‘Congratulations, we got the contract, here is your money.’”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Prosecutors say Thao used her position to benefit the city’s recycling contractor in exchange for money and negative political mailers.",
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"title": "Ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Is Going on Trial for Bribery: Here’s What You Need to Know | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>As former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> prepares to go to trial next week — accused of participating in an alleged bribery scheme with the owners of Oakland’s recycling contractor — a key debate is expected to loom over the proceedings: whether the prosecution’s star witness is telling the truth or if the government built its case on the claims of an unreliable informant. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao, 41, her longtime partner, Andre Jones, 55, California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong, 68, and his son, Andy Duong, 37, face charges of bribery, conspiracy, and fraud. Andy Duong has also been charged with lying to the FBI. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao pledged favorable treatment to the Duongs’ businesses in exchange for a promise of $300,000 paid to Jones and negative political mailers in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Each defendant has pleaded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022612/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-3-others-charged-with-bribery-sprawling-corruption-probe\">not guilty\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they have copious evidence to prove the alleged scheme, including text messages, emails, Apple notes, taped phone calls and video recordings. But they’ll also be relying on the testimony of a key cooperating witness whose checkered past has become a primary focus of the defense. \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/y907VV5aF78'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/y907VV5aF78'\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>The witness, Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, co-founded a housing company with the Duongs that’s at the center of the alleged conspiracy. He became an informant in the FBI’s investigation after a falling out with the family and has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme. He’s expected to testify about his relationships with the defendants, as well as his role in the housing company. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys have raised questions about Juarez’s credibility and what they’ve described as his “decadeslong history of fraud” — including instances where they say he falsely accused business partners of illegal activity in an effort to escape liability for his own actions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While primarily focused on the Duongs and their relationship with Thao, the prosecution has also exposed behind-the-scenes interactions between the family and other elected officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A list of high-profile politicians has been named as potential witnesses who could testify in the trial — including Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins and former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another elected official, former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo, has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in a related case and is expected to take the stand as a government witness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jury selection begins Oct. 13 with opening statements planned immediately after. The trial is estimated to last around six weeks, wrapping up around Thanksgiving. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The alleged quid pro quo\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege that in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election, Thao, Jones and the Duongs began discussing a deal that would help get Thao elected and benefit the Duongs’ companies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the fall of 2022, the Duongs had recently gone into business with Juarez on Evolutionary Homes, a company that aimed to convert shipping containers into housing for people experiencing homelessness. The plan was to market the container units to local Bay Area governments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao at the time was an Oakland City Council member running for mayor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-id=\"12103337\" 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\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1805\" height=\"889\" data-id=\"12103161\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103161\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg 1805w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-160x79.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-1536x757.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1805px) 100vw, 1805px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot from the website Mario Juarez allegedly created to attack Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, accessed by the Wayback Machine on Nov. 7, 2022. (Courtesy of Wayback Machine)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege the Duongs agreed to finance campaign mailers that negatively portrayed Thao’s opponents in the race, Loren Taylor and Ignacio de la Fuente, and pay her longtime partner Jones $300,000 through a no-show job at Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In exchange, they say, Thao committed the city of Oakland to purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes and agreed to help appoint people hand-picked by the Duongs and Juarez to director-level city positions if she won the election. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Duongs’ recycling company, California Waste Solutions, already had a contract with Oakland to provide curbside recycling services, and Thao allegedly agreed that as mayor, she would also extend it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When it became evident that Thao was going to win, prosecutors say Juarez texted Andy Duong, “So we may go to jail … But we are $100 million richer.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong allegedly replied, “Money buys everything.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"alignleft size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"758\" height=\"577\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/indictment-texts-6651ab1e.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103464\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/indictment-texts-6651ab1e.png 758w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/indictment-texts-6651ab1e-160x122.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 758px) 100vw, 758px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A text message exchange between Andy Duong and Mario Juarez, identified as Co-Conspirator 1, according to the federal indictment against former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. (Courtesy of U.S. District Court)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>In the months that followed, prosecutors say Juarez began paying Jones, together with money from David and Andy Duong. And they say the defendants began discussing how to expand their deal, with Jones being paid as much as $3 million if the city purchased 300 housing units from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At one meeting, Thao allegedly proposed using Oakland’s emergency powers to make it easier for the city to buy the container houses outside of a typical competitive bidding process. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In March 2023, Juarez and Andy Duong began discussing Larry Gallegos as a potential candidate to serve in the city’s Department of Housing and Community Development — a position prosecutors say they believed would help further the Duongs’ businesses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At their behest, prosecutors say Thao pressured the interim city administrator to appoint Gallegos. Despite the city administrator believing Gallegos didn’t have enough experience for the job, prosecutors say he appointed him interim deputy director of the department the following day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr />\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=v2%3A2PACX-1vTRnkCBK8-xyeC_U6_qwyM9Es3WzLEpRhXB-1oELWuROivaP70Gkh-ll0Dw4g8nEJIEUkVN774ITfpE&font=Default&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&width=100%25&height=650\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But prosecutors say Thao’s relationship with the Duongs began taking a turn after she went on a trade delegation to Vietnam in late July and early August 2023 that was sponsored by a business association chaired by David Duong, and a reporter began asking questions about Azevedo’s suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes on the trip. Thao’s staffers are expected to testify they heard her telling David Duong that if a story came out about inappropriate conduct on the trip, she could no longer work with him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Several weeks later, prosecutors allege, David Duong, Andy Duong and Juarez met with an associate of the reporter at a restaurant in Livermore and gave the associate a check for $10,000, drawn from California Waste Solutions’ bank account, to kill the story. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By late November 2023, David Duong told his son and Juarez that Thao wasn’t ready to purchase the container homes and was waiting for another city or county government to order them first, prosecutors say. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103404\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103404\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong attends 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\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103403\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103403\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong talks with attendees after 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\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then, in May 2024, the relationship between Juarez and the Duongs imploded. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Juarez’s version of events, he told police that a group of ten men at California Waste Solutions’ offices beat him up in an attack ordered by the Duongs. In the Duongs’ version, Juarez had failed to deliver on his end of the deal and had shown up at the office, demanding more money and “holding them for hours.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A little more than a month later, Juarez sat down for an interview with the FBI. Agents executed search warrants at Thao’s, David Duong’s and Andy Duong’s homes two weeks later. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The defense’s case\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys are expected to work to undermine Juarez’s credibility as a witness by pointing to what they have described as “a steady pattern of dishonesty and fraud.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In motions filed last year, defense attorneys argued that the FBI had relied heavily on Juarez’s claims to secure search warrants of their client’s property, without providing the full details of Juarez’s background to the judges who signed off on them. Evidence seized should be suppressed, they argued. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The attorneys wrote that Juarez had been sued approximately 33 times between 1992 and 2022, including numerous fraud cases involving former business partners.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103158\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents raid a home on Maiden Lane where Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao allegedly lives in Oakland on Thursday, June 20, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>They also described a documented “counter-attack history” — instances where Juarez alleged misconduct by others in response to accusations or lawsuits lodged against him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez, they said, “has repeatedly falsely accused business partners of crimes and other wrongdoing in efforts to escape liability for his own actions — just as he did here.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In one example cited by attorneys, Juarez filed a restraining order against a man who sued him in August 2011, claiming Juarez shorted him and his wife out of $220,000 they loaned him. A year earlier, Juarez filed a different restraining order against an attorney following an altercation inside a property in Oakland’s Fruitvale district. The attorney was representing Juarez’s landlord, who was trying to evict him and others from the property.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chief District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied the motions. But in a hearing several months later, she cautioned prosecutors that questions about Juarez’s credibility could pose a major issue for their case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You could have as your main witness someone who himself is a liar. That is the problem,” she said at the hearing in September. “What I can tell you is it is a huge mess, and if in fact there is fire where there’s so much smoke, then the jury gets to hear about the credibility of this individual.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">High-profile officials caught in defendants’ orbit\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While only one other elected official has been charged with participating in a related Evolutionary Homes bribery scheme to date, prosecutors have listed several high-profile East Bay politicians as potential witnesses in Thao’s case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they plan to introduce evidence at trial showing that Juarez and Andy Duong also bribed former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo. In February, Azevedo \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073176/former-san-leandro-city-councilmember-pleads-guilty-in-federal-bribery-case\">pleaded guilty\u003c/a> in a related case that involved promises of kickback payments in exchange for ensuring the city of San Leandro purchased container home units from Evolutionary Homes.\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/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103155\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bryan Azevedo, San Leandro City Council member for District 2, during a council meeting on Aug. 2, 2025. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Government attorneys say they intend to show documents, recordings and witness testimony demonstrating that Andy Duong and Juarez had discussions with Oakland City Councilmembers Kevin Jenkins, Rebecca Kaplan, and Nikki Fortunato Bas — now an Alameda County supervisor — as well as Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, in furtherance of the charged conspiracy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez, prosecutors say, will testify that he and Andy Duong discussed potential bribery deals with other city council members in San Leandro, Berkeley and Alameda. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez is also expected to testify that Andy Duong told him he took photos and recorded videos of politicians so he could later use them as leverage or blackmail. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103409\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks with KQED politics reporters Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer for Political Breakdown at the KQED offices in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/11/20/ag-rob-bonta-told-he-was-in-compromising-video-amid-east-bay-corruption-probe/\">May 2024 letter\u003c/a> to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Juarez claimed Andy Duong had a recording of Bonta in “a compromising situation.” Court records show the FBI interviewed Bonta in September 2024 as part of the investigation into Thao and the Duongs. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065004/california-ag-rob-bonta-wont-rule-out-a-run-for-governor-amid-campaign-fund-questions\">Bonta told KQED\u003c/a> he spent $468,000 in legal fees so an attorney could guide him through that process.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Over a year ago, maybe 14 months ago, the federal government reached out to me and said that they thought I may have information that would be relevant to the investigation,” Bonta said. “Having never done this before, I wanted to make sure I had an attorney who could guide me through the process and ensure that I provided everything that could be helpful.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When asked about the letter, Bonta told KQED he had received it, but said that “the reference to any video is absolutely not true. It’s false, and there is no video.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bonta has not been listed as a potential witness in the trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have filed transcripts, videos and audio recordings of phone calls with elected officials that FBI agents seized from Andy Duong’s phone, which appear to have been recorded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">without the politicians’ knowledge\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Two of them capture candid conversations in 2024 between Andy Duong and Jenkins, as well as with Bas, when she was president of the Oakland City Council. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both politicians are included on the government’s list of potential witnesses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Also on the witness list is former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson, who Thao directed to tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom in January 2024, according to the indictment. Johnson \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from his position with the city in May \u003c/a>amid a text messaging scandal that prosecutors attempted, unsuccessfully, to bar defense attorneys from asking about during the trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other high-profile staffers who could be called to testify are Oakland’s current interim city administrator, Betsy Lake; former interim city administrators Harold Duffey and Steven Falk; Thao’s former chiefs of staff, Renia Webb and Leigh Hanson, as well as Brandon Harami, a former mayoral staffer who also worked on Thao’s 2022 campaign for mayor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other allegations \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Court filings in the case have described other alleged bribery beyond the specific scheme that prosecutors hope to prove at trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The jury will be permitted to view two October 2022 cell phone videos of what appears to be Juarez toasting the formation of Evolutionary Homes. Sitting in the California Waste Solutions conference room are members of the Duong family. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In one of the videos, Juarez appears to describe payments the Duongs made in 2014 after winning the company’s recycling contract with the city. \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/SQfb9Mw6Qsc'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/SQfb9Mw6Qsc'\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>“The day after you won the city of Oakland contract, you were there, paying everybody,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video. “I was in your office. And — $50,000, $100,000 — whatever it was. And you said, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I just want to do business with you.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the video, members of the Duong family do not correct Juarez when he mentions payments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a July court filing, prosecutors described the video, saying that Juarez is expected to testify that his comments were in reference to bribes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The government expects Juarez to testify that this statement refers to the Duongs giving cash to multiple public officials in exchange for their assistance in helping CWS [California Waste Solutions] secure the Oakland recycling contract in 2014,” the filing reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys either declined or did not respond to KQED’s requests for comment on the video. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Further allegations Juarez has made to the FBI about the Duongs paying elected officials are summarized in an August motion filed by attorneys representing David Duong. According to the filing, Juarez also told FBI investigators he had seen the Duongs delete evidence from a security system and that the family used vague consultant contracts to launder money to various individuals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys attempted to have those allegations excluded from the trial. That motion was denied.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the filing, Juarez said he saw a “line of people” at California Waste Solutions’ office “waiting to be paid cash” by David Duong.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Individual 1] was paid $300,000 in cash in a black gym bag. Juarez knew the amount of cash because Juarez helped count the money,” the filing reads. “The cash to [Individual 1] was definitely for his help in obtaining the CWS contract; D. Duong told [Individual 1] something to the effect of ‘Congratulations, we got the contract, here is your money.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes",
"title": "Sheng Thao Case: Recordings Reveal Taped Phone Calls, FBI Informant Appearing to Describe Bribes",
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"headTitle": "Sheng Thao Case: Recordings Reveal Taped Phone Calls, FBI Informant Appearing to Describe Bribes | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>A video recording filed in the federal corruption case of former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> shows a key FBI informant describing the owners of a major recycling contractor paying people after they won a lucrative contract with the city of Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The video is part of a batch of files released this month that also includes taped phone calls with current and former elected officials. The calls, which appear to have been recorded without the politicians’ knowledge, seem to reveal close working relationships, and at times coordination, between Oakland city officials and the recycling company. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors argue the video shows a critical moment in the alleged corruption scheme between their star witness, a co-conspirator turned informant, and the Duong family, owners of California Waste Solutions, the city’s curbside recycling provider. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The company’s CEO, David Duong, and his son, Andy Duong, are facing bribery, conspiracy and mail and wire fraud charges alongside Thao and her longtime partner, Andre Jones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The four are accused of engaging in a corrupt relationship in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the months following. Prosecutors allege Thao promised she would use her authority as mayor to take actions to benefit the Duongs’ companies in exchange for financing negative political mailers and paying money to Jones through a no-show job. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All four defendants have pleaded not guilty. \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://youtu.be/SQfb9Mw6Qsc\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://youtube.com/shorts/D3w672owIBs?si=t5qlWwMQGSXrJs7B\">In the video from October 2022\u003c/a>, Mario Juarez, who has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme, stands in front of a conference table and makes a toast, professing his loyalty to the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The day after you won the city of Oakland contract, you were there, paying everybody,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video while holding a bottle of what appears to be champagne. “Everybody was like fucking piranhas after you. I remember because I was there. I was in your office. And — $50,000, $100,000 — whatever it was. And you said, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I just want to do business with you.’”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The toast appears to celebrate Evolutionary Homes, a housing company the Duongs and Juarez co-founded around that time that is at the center of the bribery prosecution. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the video, members of the Duong family do not correct Juarez when he mentions payments. At one point, when Juarez describes “piranhas,” Kristina Duong, California Waste Solutions’ chief financial officer, shakes her head yes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a July court filing, prosecutors described the video, saying that Juarez is expected to testify at trial that his comments were in reference to bribes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The government expects Juarez to testify that this statement refers to the Duongs giving cash to multiple public officials in exchange for their assistance in helping CWS [California Waste Solutions] secure the Oakland recycling contract in 2014,” the filing reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez’s toast to the partnership between the Duongs and Juarez took place when the alleged conspiracy was forming, prosecutors say. By professing his past and future loyalty, prosecutors say Juarez was indicating to the Duongs that he could be trusted to keep their secrets and conduct business in their interest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I defended your family, I defend CWS, I defend them physically,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video. “If anyone fucks with CWS, I step up to the plate, and I think I’ve proven that time and time again.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That very same day, prosecutors say Juarez reached out to Thao to set up a meeting to discuss the negative campaign mailers and the city’s commitment to purchase housing units from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An attorney for David Duong declined to comment on the video and other allegations Juarez has made. Lawyers representing Andy Duong did not immediately respond. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys for months have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">raised questions about Juarez’s credibility as a witness\u003c/a>, pointing to what they’ve described as his “decades-long history of fraud,” and instances where they say Juarez falsely accused business partners of illegal activity in an effort to escape liability for his own actions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098344\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">US Postal Inspectors check documents at a home tied to David Duong, one of the multiple properties searched by law enforcement that included residences of members of a politically connected family who run the city’s contracted recycling company, California Waste Solutions, in Oakland, California, on June 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>A second video, taken shortly after the first, shows Juarez making another speech. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Minus the profanity,” someone off-camera can be heard saying, followed by another person saying, “Keep it PG, please.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The videos were retrieved from Andy Duong’s phone and are among multiple audio and video files FBI agents seized. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One such file, described as a video depicting Andy Duong, former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo and others, remains under seal. The video was recorded in August 2023, during a trade delegation to Vietnam that Thao, the Duongs and other East Bay officials attended. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Azevedo, who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073176/former-san-leandro-city-councilmember-pleads-guilty-in-federal-bribery-case\">pleaded guilty to accepting bribes\u003c/a> in a related case in February, is a cooperating government witness in the case involving Thao, Jones and the Duongs. Juarez is expected to testify that Andy Duong told him he often recorded politicians in case he needed to use it for leverage later on. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1708\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098354\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg 2560w, 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: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong exits the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California, on Jan. 17, 2025. Sheng Thao, the former mayor of Oakland, was criminally indicted by a federal grand jury after an FBI corruption investigation that centered on City Hall and the powerful Duong family that operates the city’s curbside recycling program, a source familiar with the matter told the Chronicle. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Court records show prosecutors are now planning to use many of those recordings as evidence in the trial against the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong, who previously worked for his family’s business, is no longer actively employed by California Waste Solutions, an attorney for the company confirmed via phone on Thursday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The attorney said Andy Duong is “on a leave of absence” but would not say when the leave began or why. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t remember when it started. Quite some time ago,” said Doug Straus, an attorney with the Buchalter law firm. “It’s been, at least, many, many, many months.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We got the contract, here is your money’ \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The video of Juarez talking about payments is not the only time allegations of wider public corruption have surfaced in the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a motion filed last month, attorneys for David Duong described allegations Juarez made to the FBI about the Duongs, including that the family has given millions of dollars in cash to elected officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Juarez knew the Duongs had paid bribes to public officials in the past. It was just how they did business,” the document reads. “Influence with politicians is part of the Duongs’ business plan. Influence came from the money they doled out and from the video evidence they kept.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098817\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\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\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the motion, Juarez described seeing a line of people at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters waiting to be paid in cash by David Duong. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Individual 1] was paid $300,000 in cash in a black gym bag. Juarez knew the amount of cash because Juarez helped count the money,” the filing reads. “The cash to [Individual 1] was definitely for his help in obtaining the CWS contract; D. Duong told [Individual 1] something to the effect of ‘Congratulations, we got the contract, here is your money.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez claimed he saw another individual — identified in the filing as Individual 2 — receive $50,000, also in a black gym bag. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Individual 2] was angry he only got $50,000; [Individual 2] wanted more money,” it reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the document, Juarez told federal agents he was involved in bribing a political opponent of a city official. Juarez gave the individual $20,000 in front of a Starbucks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Duongs paid two individuals $100,000 each for being lobbyists for California Waste Solutions, but those payments were not reported, Juarez alleged. He also claimed to have seen the Duongs delete footage from a security system. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Duong had blackmail on a lot of people. A. Duong used blackmail often,” the filing says Juarez alleged. “The Duongs and CWS started using vague consultant contracts to launder money to various individuals. Juarez knew money had been paid to [Individual 1], [Individual 8], and Brian Azevedo.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a motion filed Aug. 27, defense attorneys for David Duong pushed to have the video of Juarez and other allegations he has made kept out of the trial. They argued the allegations are unrelated to the charged conspiracy involving Thao, and could make the jury jump to the conclusion that the defendants have a propensity to commit bribery or have poor moral character. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Allowing Juarez to levy unsubstantiated accusations of obstruction, blackmail, and money laundering will only confuse the issues and encourage the jury to conclude that the Duongs are bad people and therefore likely guilty,” they wrote in the motion. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>U.S. Chief District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers on Sept. 21 denied it, ruling that Juarez’s statements about other alleged bribes can be admitted as evidence. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The jury will ultimately decide whether Juarez’s statements reveal truth or not,” her order reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘I’m not f—ing with those bitches’ \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In one of the recorded phone calls filed in federal court, dated April 2019, Thao appears to give Andy Duong information about a closed session discussion related to a legal dispute between the city of Oakland and California Waste Solutions. Oakland had sued the company in 2017, accusing it of overcharging ratepayers. California Waste Solutions then filed its own claims against the city, alleging breach of contract and seeking $5 million.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the recording, Thao can be heard appearing to reference then-Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan and advising Andy Duong on how to prepare for a meeting the following day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So in the meeting, this is what you guys need to do, OK? You guys need to prepare and talk today amongst yourselves and how to figure out how to do this because … in the meeting tomorrow, that’s what Rebecca’s going to ask for, because she doesn’t know what the answer is for that part.” \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-08.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098346\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao holds a press conference at Oakland City Hall on June 24, 2024. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao can also be heard requesting to meet somewhere more private. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We just need to be further away from people,” Thao can be heard saying. “We don’t want people hearing us talk about this stuff, you know? But if it’s a private room, I prefer a private room, because we don’t really want to be seen with you guys.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kaplan, who is no longer a councilmember but is still working for the city, did not respond to KQED’s questions about the recording. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Four years later, in 2023, Thao was mayor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a call that September, she vented to Andy Duong about Councilmembers Treva Reid and Janani Ramachandran. In the call, Thao appears to express frustration that they were invited to an event. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You’re going to have to fucking pick and choose. Because I’m not fucking with those bitches,” she says on the call. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao had recently returned from the trade delegation to Vietnam when the country’s \u003ca href=\"https://en.vietnamplus.vn/pm-pham-minh-chinh-receives-politicians-of-san-francisco-post268198.vnp\">prime minister\u003c/a> visited the Bay Area and met with local elected officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is stupid. I’m not going to stand around with these two bitches who constantly talk shit about me and make a big issue to their constituents. They’ll be like, ‘Oh yeah, the mayor is gone, she’s in Vietnam.’ You know, it’s like fuck you. Then why are you coming to see the prime minister?” Thao can be heard saying on the call. “Treva’s not a friend of mine. She should never be invited by you guys to do anything that sounds even cool.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorneys did not respond to KQED’s requests for comment on the calls. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The files also include a recorded call between Andy Duong and Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, and another with Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, who was president of the Oakland City Council at the time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the January 2024 call with Jenkins, Andy Duong follows up on an invitation to party on a yacht. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Duong and Jenkins can be heard joking with each other at the start of the call, referring to women as bitches. They then discuss the campaigns to recall Thao and then Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price and Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Reached by phone, Jenkins told KQED that it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the recording given that he is a government witness in the trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the call with Bas, recorded in March that same year, she and Andy Duong can be heard discussing donations to her then-campaign for supervisor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Duong then tells Bas that he spoke to Thao and asks if she can put an item on an upcoming agenda to extend California Waste Solutions’ agreement with the city to acquire and develop property at the former Oakland Army Base for a new recycling facility. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Yup. OK. I’ll follow up on this right now,” she says. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an email, Bas told KQED the city council never voted on or addressed Duong’s request. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As I do with all constituent matters, I forwarded this inquiry to city staff for their independent review,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The video is part of a batch of files released this month that also includes taped phone calls with current and former elected officials. The calls, which appear to have been recorded without the politicians’ knowledge, seem to reveal close working relationships, and at times coordination, between Oakland city officials and the recycling company. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The company’s CEO, David Duong, and his son, Andy Duong, are facing bribery, conspiracy and mail and wire fraud charges alongside Thao and her longtime partner, Andre Jones. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The four are accused of engaging in a corrupt relationship in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the months following. Prosecutors allege Thao promised she would use her authority as mayor to take actions to benefit the Duongs’ companies in exchange for financing negative political mailers and paying money to Jones through a no-show job. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The four are accused of engaging in a corrupt relationship in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the months following. Prosecutors allege Thao promised she would use her authority as mayor to take actions to benefit the Duongs’ companies in exchange for financing negative political mailers and paying money to Jones through a no-show job. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://youtube.com/shorts/D3w672owIBs?si=t5qlWwMQGSXrJs7B\">In the video from October 2022\u003c/a>, Mario Juarez, who has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme, stands in front of a conference table and makes a toast, professing his loyalty to the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The day after you won the city of Oakland contract, you were there, paying everybody,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video while holding a bottle of what appears to be champagne. “Everybody was like fucking piranhas after you. I remember because I was there. I was in your office. And — $50,000, $100,000 — whatever it was. And you said, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I just want to do business with you.’”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The day after you won the city of Oakland contract, you were there, paying everybody,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video while holding a bottle of what appears to be champagne. “Everybody was like fucking piranhas after you. I remember because I was there. I was in your office. And — $50,000, $100,000 — whatever it was. And you said, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I just want to do business with you.’”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The toast appears to celebrate Evolutionary Homes, a housing company the Duongs and Juarez co-founded around that time that is at the center of the bribery prosecution. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the video, members of the Duong family do not correct Juarez when he mentions payments. At one point, when Juarez describes “piranhas,” Kristina Duong, California Waste Solutions’ chief financial officer, shakes her head yes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The government expects Juarez to testify that this statement refers to the Duongs giving cash to multiple public officials in exchange for their assistance in helping CWS [California Waste Solutions] secure the Oakland recycling contract in 2014,” the filing reads. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez’s toast to the partnership between the Duongs and Juarez took place when the alleged conspiracy was forming, prosecutors say. By professing his past and future loyalty, prosecutors say Juarez was indicating to the Duongs that he could be trusted to keep their secrets and conduct business in their interest. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I defended your family, I defend CWS, I defend them physically,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video. “If anyone fucks with CWS, I step up to the plate, and I think I’ve proven that time and time again.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I defended your family, I defend CWS, I defend them physically,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video. “If anyone fucks with CWS, I step up to the plate, and I think I’ve proven that time and time again.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That very same day, prosecutors say Juarez reached out to Thao to set up a meeting to discuss the negative campaign mailers and the city’s commitment to purchase housing units from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That very same day, prosecutors say Juarez reached out to Thao to set up a meeting to discuss the negative campaign mailers and the city’s commitment to purchase housing units from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>An attorney for David Duong declined to comment on the video and other allegations Juarez has made. Lawyers representing Andy Duong did not immediately respond. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys for months have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">raised questions about Juarez’s credibility as a witness\u003c/a>, pointing to what they’ve described as his “decades-long history of fraud,” and instances where they say Juarez falsely accused business partners of illegal activity in an effort to escape liability for his own actions. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys for months have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">raised questions about Juarez’s credibility as a witness\u003c/a>, pointing to what they’ve described as his “decades-long history of fraud,” and instances where they say Juarez falsely accused business partners of illegal activity in an effort to escape liability for his own actions. \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/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098344\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">US Postal Inspectors check documents at a home tied to David Duong, one of the multiple properties searched by law enforcement that included residences of members of a politically connected family who run the city’s contracted recycling company, California Waste Solutions, in Oakland, California, on June 20, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098344\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">US Postal Inspectors check documents at a home tied to David Duong, one of the multiple properties searched by law enforcement that included residences of members of a politically connected family who run the city’s contracted recycling company, California Waste Solutions, in Oakland, California, on June 20, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A second video, taken shortly after the first, shows Juarez making another speech. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Minus the profanity,” someone off-camera can be heard saying, followed by another person saying, “Keep it PG, please.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The videos were retrieved from Andy Duong’s phone and are among multiple audio and video files FBI agents seized. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One such file, described as a video depicting Andy Duong, former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo and others, remains under seal. The video was recorded in August 2023, during a trade delegation to Vietnam that Thao, the Duongs and other East Bay officials attended. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One such file, described as a video depicting Andy Duong, former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo and others, remains under seal. The video was recorded in August 2023, during a trade delegation to Vietnam that Thao, the Duongs and other East Bay officials attended. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Azevedo, who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073176/former-san-leandro-city-councilmember-pleads-guilty-in-federal-bribery-case\">pleaded guilty to accepting bribes\u003c/a> in a related case in February, is a cooperating government witness in the case involving Thao, Jones and the Duongs. Juarez is expected to testify that Andy Duong told him he often recorded politicians in case he needed to use it for leverage later on. \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/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098354\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg 2560w, 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=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong exits the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California, on Jan. 17, 2025. Sheng Thao, the former mayor of Oakland, was criminally indicted by a federal grand jury after an FBI corruption investigation that centered on City Hall and the powerful Duong family that operates the city’s curbside recycling program, a source familiar with the matter told the Chronicle.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098354\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong exits the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California, on Jan. 17, 2025. Sheng Thao, the former mayor of Oakland, was criminally indicted by a federal grand jury after an FBI corruption investigation that centered on City Hall and the powerful Duong family that operates the city’s curbside recycling program, a source familiar with the matter told the Chronicle.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Court records show prosecutors are now planning to use many of those recordings as evidence in the trial against the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Andy Duong, who previously worked for his family’s business, is no longer actively employed by California Waste Solutions, an attorney for the company confirmed via phone on Thursday. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The attorney said Andy Duong is “on a leave of absence” but would not say when the leave began or why. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I don’t remember when it started. Quite some time ago,” said Doug Straus, an attorney with the Buchalter law firm. “It’s been, at least, many, many, many months.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I don’t remember when it started. Quite some time ago,” said Doug Straus, an attorney with the Buchalter law firm. “It’s been, at least, many, many, many months.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "‘We got the contract, here is your money’ ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We got the contract, here is your money’ \u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The video of Juarez talking about payments is not the only time allegations of wider public corruption have surfaced in the case. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a motion filed last month, attorneys for David Duong described allegations Juarez made to the FBI about the Duongs, including that the family has given millions of dollars in cash to elected officials. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Juarez knew the Duongs had paid bribes to public officials in the past. It was just how they did business,” the document reads. “Influence with politicians is part of the Duongs’ business plan. Influence came from the money they doled out and from the video evidence they kept.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Juarez knew the Duongs had paid bribes to public officials in the past. It was just how they did business,” the document reads. “Influence with politicians is part of the Duongs’ business plan. Influence came from the money they doled out and from the video evidence they kept.” \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/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098817\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-1536x1024.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>According to the motion, Juarez described seeing a line of people at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters waiting to be paid in cash by David Duong. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[Individual 1] was paid $300,000 in cash in a black gym bag. Juarez knew the amount of cash because Juarez helped count the money,” the filing reads. “The cash to [Individual 1] was definitely for his help in obtaining the CWS contract; D. Duong told [Individual 1] something to the effect of ‘Congratulations, we got the contract, here is your money.’” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“[Individual 1] was paid $300,000 in cash in a black gym bag. Juarez knew the amount of cash because Juarez helped count the money,” the filing reads. “The cash to [Individual 1] was definitely for his help in obtaining the CWS contract; D. Duong told [Individual 1] something to the effect of ‘Congratulations, we got the contract, here is your money.’” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez claimed he saw another individual — identified in the filing as Individual 2 — receive $50,000, also in a black gym bag. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[Individual 2] was angry he only got $50,000; [Individual 2] wanted more money,” it reads. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“[Individual 2] was angry he only got $50,000; [Individual 2] wanted more money,” it reads. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to the document, Juarez told federal agents he was involved in bribing a political opponent of a city official. Juarez gave the individual $20,000 in front of a Starbucks. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Duongs paid two individuals $100,000 each for being lobbyists for California Waste Solutions, but those payments were not reported, Juarez alleged. He also claimed to have seen the Duongs delete footage from a security system. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Duong had blackmail on a lot of people. A. Duong used blackmail often,” the filing says Juarez alleged. “The Duongs and CWS started using vague consultant contracts to launder money to various individuals. Juarez knew money had been paid to [Individual 1], [Individual 8], and Brian Azevedo.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Duong had blackmail on a lot of people. A. Duong used blackmail often,” the filing says Juarez alleged. “The Duongs and CWS started using vague consultant contracts to launder money to various individuals. Juarez knew money had been paid to [Individual 1], [Individual 8], and Brian Azevedo.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a motion filed Aug. 27, defense attorneys for David Duong pushed to have the video of Juarez and other allegations he has made kept out of the trial. They argued the allegations are unrelated to the charged conspiracy involving Thao, and could make the jury jump to the conclusion that the defendants have a propensity to commit bribery or have poor moral character. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a motion filed Aug. 27, defense attorneys for David Duong pushed to have the video of Juarez and other allegations he has made kept out of the trial. They argued the allegations are unrelated to the charged conspiracy involving Thao, and could make the jury jump to the conclusion that the defendants have a propensity to commit bribery or have poor moral character. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Allowing Juarez to levy unsubstantiated accusations of obstruction, blackmail, and money laundering will only confuse the issues and encourage the jury to conclude that the Duongs are bad people and therefore likely guilty,” they wrote in the motion. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Allowing Juarez to levy unsubstantiated accusations of obstruction, blackmail, and money laundering will only confuse the issues and encourage the jury to conclude that the Duongs are bad people and therefore likely guilty,” they wrote in the motion. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>U.S. Chief District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers on Sept. 21 denied it, ruling that Juarez’s statements about other alleged bribes can be admitted as evidence. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>U.S. Chief District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers on Sept. 21 denied it, ruling that Juarez’s statements about other alleged bribes can be admitted as evidence. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The jury will ultimately decide whether Juarez’s statements reveal truth or not,” her order reads. \u003c/p>\n",
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "‘I’m not f—ing with those bitches’ ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘I’m not f—ing with those bitches’ \u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In one of the recorded phone calls filed in federal court, dated April 2019, Thao appears to give Andy Duong information about a closed session discussion related to a legal dispute between the city of Oakland and California Waste Solutions. Oakland had sued the company in 2017, accusing it of overcharging ratepayers. California Waste Solutions then filed its own claims against the city, alleging breach of contract and seeking $5 million.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In one of the recorded phone calls filed in federal court, dated April 2019, Thao appears to give Andy Duong information about a closed session discussion related to a legal dispute between the city of Oakland and California Waste Solutions. Oakland had sued the company in 2017, accusing it of overcharging ratepayers. California Waste Solutions then filed its own claims against the city, alleging breach of contract and seeking $5 million.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the recording, Thao can be heard appearing to reference then-Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan and advising Andy Duong on how to prepare for a meeting the following day. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the recording, Thao can be heard appearing to reference then-Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan and advising Andy Duong on how to prepare for a meeting the following day. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“So in the meeting, this is what you guys need to do, OK? You guys need to prepare and talk today amongst yourselves and how to figure out how to do this because … in the meeting tomorrow, that’s what Rebecca’s going to ask for, because she doesn’t know what the answer is for that part.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“So in the meeting, this is what you guys need to do, OK? You guys need to prepare and talk today amongst yourselves and how to figure out how to do this because … in the meeting tomorrow, that’s what Rebecca’s going to ask for, because she doesn’t know what the answer is for that part.” \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/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098346\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao holds a press conference at Oakland City Hall on June 24, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098346\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao holds a press conference at Oakland City Hall on June 24, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao can also be heard requesting to meet somewhere more private. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We just need to be further away from people,” Thao can be heard saying. “We don’t want people hearing us talk about this stuff, you know? But if it’s a private room, I prefer a private room, because we don’t really want to be seen with you guys.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We just need to be further away from people,” Thao can be heard saying. “We don’t want people hearing us talk about this stuff, you know? But if it’s a private room, I prefer a private room, because we don’t really want to be seen with you guys.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kaplan, who is no longer a councilmember but is still working for the city, did not respond to KQED’s questions about the recording. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Kaplan, who is no longer a councilmember but is still working for the city, did not respond to KQED’s questions about the recording. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Four years later, in 2023, Thao was mayor. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a call that September, she vented to Andy Duong about Councilmembers Treva Reid and Janani Ramachandran. In the call, Thao appears to express frustration that they were invited to an event. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a call that September, she vented to Andy Duong about Councilmembers Treva Reid and Janani Ramachandran. In the call, Thao appears to express frustration that they were invited to an event. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You’re going to have to fucking pick and choose. Because I’m not fucking with those bitches,” she says on the call. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“You’re going to have to fucking pick and choose. Because I’m not fucking with those bitches,” she says on the call. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao had recently returned from the trade delegation to Vietnam when the country’s \u003ca href=\"https://en.vietnamplus.vn/pm-pham-minh-chinh-receives-politicians-of-san-francisco-post268198.vnp\">prime minister\u003c/a> visited the Bay Area and met with local elected officials. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is stupid. I’m not going to stand around with these two bitches who constantly talk shit about me and make a big issue to their constituents. They’ll be like, ‘Oh yeah, the mayor is gone, she’s in Vietnam.’ You know, it’s like fuck you. Then why are you coming to see the prime minister?” Thao can be heard saying on the call. “Treva’s not a friend of mine. She should never be invited by you guys to do anything that sounds even cool.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This is stupid. I’m not going to stand around with these two bitches who constantly talk shit about me and make a big issue to their constituents. They’ll be like, ‘Oh yeah, the mayor is gone, she’s in Vietnam.’ You know, it’s like fuck you. Then why are you coming to see the prime minister?” Thao can be heard saying on the call. “Treva’s not a friend of mine. She should never be invited by you guys to do anything that sounds even cool.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorneys did not respond to KQED’s requests for comment on the calls. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The files also include a recorded call between Andy Duong and Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, and another with Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, who was president of the Oakland City Council at the time. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The files also include a recorded call between Andy Duong and Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, and another with Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, who was president of the Oakland City Council at the time. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the January 2024 call with Jenkins, Andy Duong follows up on an invitation to party on a yacht. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Duong and Jenkins can be heard joking with each other at the start of the call, referring to women as bitches. They then discuss the campaigns to recall Thao and then Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price and Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Duong and Jenkins can be heard joking with each other at the start of the call, referring to women as bitches. They then discuss the campaigns to recall Thao and then Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price and Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Reached by phone, Jenkins told KQED that it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the recording given that he is a government witness in the trial. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the call with Bas, recorded in March that same year, she and Andy Duong can be heard discussing donations to her then-campaign for supervisor. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the call with Bas, recorded in March that same year, she and Andy Duong can be heard discussing donations to her then-campaign for supervisor. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Duong then tells Bas that he spoke to Thao and asks if she can put an item on an upcoming agenda to extend California Waste Solutions’ agreement with the city to acquire and develop property at the former Oakland Army Base for a new recycling facility. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Duong then tells Bas that he spoke to Thao and asks if she can put an item on an upcoming agenda to extend California Waste Solutions’ agreement with the city to acquire and develop property at the former Oakland Army Base for a new recycling facility. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Yup. OK. I’ll follow up on this right now,” she says. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Yup. OK. I’ll follow up on this right now,” she says. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an email, Bas told KQED the city council never voted on or addressed Duong’s request. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“As I do with all constituent matters, I forwarded this inquiry to city staff for their independent review,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "A batch of video and audio recordings in the federal corruption case of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao reveals taped phone calls with East Bay elected officials and a video of an FBI informant appearing to describe cash bribes. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>A video recording filed in the federal corruption case of former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> shows a key FBI informant describing the owners of a major recycling contractor paying people after they won a lucrative contract with the city of Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The video is part of a batch of files released this month that also includes taped phone calls with current and former elected officials. The calls, which appear to have been recorded without the politicians’ knowledge, seem to reveal close working relationships, and at times coordination, between Oakland city officials and the recycling company. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors argue the video shows a critical moment in the alleged corruption scheme between their star witness, a co-conspirator turned informant, and the Duong family, owners of California Waste Solutions, the city’s curbside recycling provider. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The company’s CEO, David Duong, and his son, Andy Duong, are facing bribery, conspiracy and mail and wire fraud charges alongside Thao and her longtime partner, Andre Jones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The four are accused of engaging in a corrupt relationship in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the months following. Prosecutors allege Thao promised she would use her authority as mayor to take actions to benefit the Duongs’ companies in exchange for financing negative political mailers and paying money to Jones through a no-show job. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All four defendants have pleaded not guilty. \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/SQfb9Mw6Qsc'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/SQfb9Mw6Qsc'\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>\u003ca href=\"https://youtube.com/shorts/D3w672owIBs?si=t5qlWwMQGSXrJs7B\">In the video from October 2022\u003c/a>, Mario Juarez, who has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme, stands in front of a conference table and makes a toast, professing his loyalty to the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The day after you won the city of Oakland contract, you were there, paying everybody,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video while holding a bottle of what appears to be champagne. “Everybody was like fucking piranhas after you. I remember because I was there. I was in your office. And — $50,000, $100,000 — whatever it was. And you said, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I just want to do business with you.’”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The toast appears to celebrate Evolutionary Homes, a housing company the Duongs and Juarez co-founded around that time that is at the center of the bribery prosecution. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the video, members of the Duong family do not correct Juarez when he mentions payments. At one point, when Juarez describes “piranhas,” Kristina Duong, California Waste Solutions’ chief financial officer, shakes her head yes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a July court filing, prosecutors described the video, saying that Juarez is expected to testify at trial that his comments were in reference to bribes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The government expects Juarez to testify that this statement refers to the Duongs giving cash to multiple public officials in exchange for their assistance in helping CWS [California Waste Solutions] secure the Oakland recycling contract in 2014,” the filing reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez’s toast to the partnership between the Duongs and Juarez took place when the alleged conspiracy was forming, prosecutors say. By professing his past and future loyalty, prosecutors say Juarez was indicating to the Duongs that he could be trusted to keep their secrets and conduct business in their interest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I defended your family, I defend CWS, I defend them physically,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video. “If anyone fucks with CWS, I step up to the plate, and I think I’ve proven that time and time again.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That very same day, prosecutors say Juarez reached out to Thao to set up a meeting to discuss the negative campaign mailers and the city’s commitment to purchase housing units from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An attorney for David Duong declined to comment on the video and other allegations Juarez has made. Lawyers representing Andy Duong did not immediately respond. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys for months have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">raised questions about Juarez’s credibility as a witness\u003c/a>, pointing to what they’ve described as his “decades-long history of fraud,” and instances where they say Juarez falsely accused business partners of illegal activity in an effort to escape liability for his own actions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098344\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">US Postal Inspectors check documents at a home tied to David Duong, one of the multiple properties searched by law enforcement that included residences of members of a politically connected family who run the city’s contracted recycling company, California Waste Solutions, in Oakland, California, on June 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>A second video, taken shortly after the first, shows Juarez making another speech. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Minus the profanity,” someone off-camera can be heard saying, followed by another person saying, “Keep it PG, please.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The videos were retrieved from Andy Duong’s phone and are among multiple audio and video files FBI agents seized. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One such file, described as a video depicting Andy Duong, former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo and others, remains under seal. The video was recorded in August 2023, during a trade delegation to Vietnam that Thao, the Duongs and other East Bay officials attended. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Azevedo, who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073176/former-san-leandro-city-councilmember-pleads-guilty-in-federal-bribery-case\">pleaded guilty to accepting bribes\u003c/a> in a related case in February, is a cooperating government witness in the case involving Thao, Jones and the Duongs. Juarez is expected to testify that Andy Duong told him he often recorded politicians in case he needed to use it for leverage later on. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1708\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098354\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg 2560w, 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: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong exits the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California, on Jan. 17, 2025. Sheng Thao, the former mayor of Oakland, was criminally indicted by a federal grand jury after an FBI corruption investigation that centered on City Hall and the powerful Duong family that operates the city’s curbside recycling program, a source familiar with the matter told the Chronicle. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Court records show prosecutors are now planning to use many of those recordings as evidence in the trial against the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong, who previously worked for his family’s business, is no longer actively employed by California Waste Solutions, an attorney for the company confirmed via phone on Thursday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The attorney said Andy Duong is “on a leave of absence” but would not say when the leave began or why. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t remember when it started. Quite some time ago,” said Doug Straus, an attorney with the Buchalter law firm. “It’s been, at least, many, many, many months.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We got the contract, here is your money’ \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The video of Juarez talking about payments is not the only time allegations of wider public corruption have surfaced in the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a motion filed last month, attorneys for David Duong described allegations Juarez made to the FBI about the Duongs, including that the family has given millions of dollars in cash to elected officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Juarez knew the Duongs had paid bribes to public officials in the past. It was just how they did business,” the document reads. “Influence with politicians is part of the Duongs’ business plan. Influence came from the money they doled out and from the video evidence they kept.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098817\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\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\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the motion, Juarez described seeing a line of people at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters waiting to be paid in cash by David Duong. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Individual 1] was paid $300,000 in cash in a black gym bag. Juarez knew the amount of cash because Juarez helped count the money,” the filing reads. “The cash to [Individual 1] was definitely for his help in obtaining the CWS contract; D. Duong told [Individual 1] something to the effect of ‘Congratulations, we got the contract, here is your money.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez claimed he saw another individual — identified in the filing as Individual 2 — receive $50,000, also in a black gym bag. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Individual 2] was angry he only got $50,000; [Individual 2] wanted more money,” it reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the document, Juarez told federal agents he was involved in bribing a political opponent of a city official. Juarez gave the individual $20,000 in front of a Starbucks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Duongs paid two individuals $100,000 each for being lobbyists for California Waste Solutions, but those payments were not reported, Juarez alleged. He also claimed to have seen the Duongs delete footage from a security system. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Duong had blackmail on a lot of people. A. Duong used blackmail often,” the filing says Juarez alleged. “The Duongs and CWS started using vague consultant contracts to launder money to various individuals. Juarez knew money had been paid to [Individual 1], [Individual 8], and Brian Azevedo.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a motion filed Aug. 27, defense attorneys for David Duong pushed to have the video of Juarez and other allegations he has made kept out of the trial. They argued the allegations are unrelated to the charged conspiracy involving Thao, and could make the jury jump to the conclusion that the defendants have a propensity to commit bribery or have poor moral character. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Allowing Juarez to levy unsubstantiated accusations of obstruction, blackmail, and money laundering will only confuse the issues and encourage the jury to conclude that the Duongs are bad people and therefore likely guilty,” they wrote in the motion. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>U.S. Chief District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers on Sept. 21 denied it, ruling that Juarez’s statements about other alleged bribes can be admitted as evidence. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The jury will ultimately decide whether Juarez’s statements reveal truth or not,” her order reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘I’m not f—ing with those bitches’ \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In one of the recorded phone calls filed in federal court, dated April 2019, Thao appears to give Andy Duong information about a closed session discussion related to a legal dispute between the city of Oakland and California Waste Solutions. Oakland had sued the company in 2017, accusing it of overcharging ratepayers. California Waste Solutions then filed its own claims against the city, alleging breach of contract and seeking $5 million.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the recording, Thao can be heard appearing to reference then-Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan and advising Andy Duong on how to prepare for a meeting the following day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So in the meeting, this is what you guys need to do, OK? You guys need to prepare and talk today amongst yourselves and how to figure out how to do this because … in the meeting tomorrow, that’s what Rebecca’s going to ask for, because she doesn’t know what the answer is for that part.” \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-08.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098346\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao holds a press conference at Oakland City Hall on June 24, 2024. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao can also be heard requesting to meet somewhere more private. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We just need to be further away from people,” Thao can be heard saying. “We don’t want people hearing us talk about this stuff, you know? But if it’s a private room, I prefer a private room, because we don’t really want to be seen with you guys.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kaplan, who is no longer a councilmember but is still working for the city, did not respond to KQED’s questions about the recording. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Four years later, in 2023, Thao was mayor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a call that September, she vented to Andy Duong about Councilmembers Treva Reid and Janani Ramachandran. In the call, Thao appears to express frustration that they were invited to an event. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You’re going to have to fucking pick and choose. Because I’m not fucking with those bitches,” she says on the call. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao had recently returned from the trade delegation to Vietnam when the country’s \u003ca href=\"https://en.vietnamplus.vn/pm-pham-minh-chinh-receives-politicians-of-san-francisco-post268198.vnp\">prime minister\u003c/a> visited the Bay Area and met with local elected officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is stupid. I’m not going to stand around with these two bitches who constantly talk shit about me and make a big issue to their constituents. They’ll be like, ‘Oh yeah, the mayor is gone, she’s in Vietnam.’ You know, it’s like fuck you. Then why are you coming to see the prime minister?” Thao can be heard saying on the call. “Treva’s not a friend of mine. She should never be invited by you guys to do anything that sounds even cool.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorneys did not respond to KQED’s requests for comment on the calls. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The files also include a recorded call between Andy Duong and Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, and another with Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, who was president of the Oakland City Council at the time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the January 2024 call with Jenkins, Andy Duong follows up on an invitation to party on a yacht. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Duong and Jenkins can be heard joking with each other at the start of the call, referring to women as bitches. They then discuss the campaigns to recall Thao and then Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price and Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Reached by phone, Jenkins told KQED that it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the recording given that he is a government witness in the trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the call with Bas, recorded in March that same year, she and Andy Duong can be heard discussing donations to her then-campaign for supervisor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Duong then tells Bas that he spoke to Thao and asks if she can put an item on an upcoming agenda to extend California Waste Solutions’ agreement with the city to acquire and develop property at the former Oakland Army Base for a new recycling facility. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Yup. OK. I’ll follow up on this right now,” she says. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an email, Bas told KQED the city council never voted on or addressed Duong’s request. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As I do with all constituent matters, I forwarded this inquiry to city staff for their independent review,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"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. ",
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"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.",
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"mindshift": {
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"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>",
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"order": 12
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"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.",
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"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?",
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"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
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"possible": {
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"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
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},
"pri-the-world": {
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"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
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},
"reveal": {
"id": "reveal",
"title": "Reveal",
"info": "Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/",
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