Jury selection in the federal bribery case against former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao begins Monday, Oct. 13, at the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building in downtown Oakland, according to KQED, The Oaklandside and Courthouse News.
Thao, 41; her longtime partner, Andre Jones, 55; California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong, 68; and his son, Andy Duong, 37, each face conspiracy, bribery, mail-fraud and wire-fraud charges tied to what prosecutors call a pay-to-play deal around the 2022 mayoral race. Andy Duong also faces a false-statements count for allegedly lying to the FBI. All four have pleaded not guilty. The trial is expected to run about six weeks, into the Thanksgiving stretch.
What prosecutors say happened
The government alleges that ahead of the 2022 election — when Thao was still a City Council member — the Duongs financed negative campaign mailers against her rivals and funneled money to Jones through a "no-show" job at Evolutionary Homes, a shipping-container housing venture they launched with Oakland businessman Mario Juarez. In exchange, prosecutors say, Thao pledged favorable treatment: extending California Waste Solutions' Oakland recycling contract, steering city purchases toward Evolutionary Homes, and helping place allies in senior city posts.
Oaklandside and Courthouse News, citing the indictment and court filings, put cash payments to Jones at about $95,000 in the government's account, with larger sums discussed if the city bought more units. KQED reported prosecutors describe a promised $300,000 tied to that arrangement. The Duongs' recycling firm already held Oakland's curbside contract; Evolutionary Homes aimed to sell container shelters to Bay Area governments.
Star witness, and a Thursday setback for the defense
Juarez, who fell out with the Duongs and pleaded guilty after cooperating with the FBI, is the prosecution's key witness. Defense lawyers have hammered what they call his long record of fraud lawsuits and "counter-attacks." On Thursday, Chief U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied David Duong's request that the government produce Juarez's tax returns, Courthouse News reported from the hearing. She also brushed aside claims that heavy media coverage had hopelessly tainted a 75-person jury pool, saying many people "don't even know who these people are."
FBI agents raided the defendants' Oakland Hills homes and the Embarcadero recycling offices in June 2024; Thao was recalled later that year. For Oaklanders, the next six weeks will test whether text messages, recordings and Juarez's testimony convince a jury — or whether doubts about the informant sink the biggest corruption case the city has seen in years.