A major development in the federal corruption probe into former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and the owners of California Waste Solutions – the first “guilty” plea in the case from former San Leandro City Council Member Bryan Azevedo. The I-Team’s Dan Noyes first questioned Azevedo about his involvement in the case ten months ago. Bryan Azevedo just retired on Tuesday from his position on the San Leandro City Council. He would have been fired after Wednesday’s guilty plea to two felonies.
The I-Team’s Dan Noyes questioned Azevedo, “Bryan, a lot of people put their trust in you. Do you feel badly for betraying their trust?”
At the Dellums Federal Building in Oakland, Azevedo pled guilty to “Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Wire Fraud”, in effect, depriving the public of its right to an honest public official. And he pled guilty to lying to FBI agents who interviewed him during a raid at his San Leandro home, January of last year.
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Noyes tried again, asking Azevedo, “Anything at all to say to the public?”
Prosecutors told the judge the problems began with a 10-day luxury trip to Vietnam sponsored by David Duong, owner of California Waste Solutions, for some 50 people including public officials.
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We first showed you video of Azevedo toasting the entourage. Prosecutors say the scheme soon hatched, that Azevedo would help the Duong family with their new company, Evolutionary Homes, to sell container homes for the homeless to the City of San Leandro. Azevedo would get a percentage. He started an LLC in his wife’s name to hide the transactions and accepted a $2000 bribe from the Duongs to fund it.
The I-Team asked Azevedo about that exact thing, last April.
DAN NOYES: “Was there some arrangement between you and the Duongs in terms of ‘we’ll give you a percentage if you sell X number of units’?”
BRYAN AZEVEDO: “I don’t remember nothing, no.”
DAN NOYES: “For you to say, ‘I don’t remember,’ it’s not going to look good for people. I mean, clearly-“
BRYAN AZEVEDO: “I don’t want to comment on that because no, there was no arrangement on that.”
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San Leandro Mayor Juan Gonzalez released a video statement late Wednesday, saying the city council will move to fill Azevedo’s seat next week: “The sacred trust between you as the voter and us as electees, that trust serves as the foundation of democracy. And Wednesday’s admission by Councilmember Azevedo represents a violation of that trust.”
Azevedo is now cooperating as a witness for the government and has a sentencing date set for December. While the charges call for 20-years, he will get a much lighter sentence, especially with his cooperation.
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