When a jury hears the corruption case against Sheng Thao and others beginning next week, one piece of information they won’t be able to consider in reaching their verdict is the tax returns of the federal government’s star witness

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers offered no explanation for her ruling during a hearing on Thursday, but she refused to order the prosecution to produce Mario Juarez’s tax records. 

For months, the attorneys representing Thao and her co-defendants David and Andy Duong, the owners of California Waste Solutions, and Thao’s former romantic partner Andre Jones have sought evidence that could be used to discredit Juarez. 

A Fruitvale businessman and political operative who allegedly played a key role in the criminal conspiracy outlined by prosecutors, Juarez has already pleaded guilty to conspiracy and is expected to testify against the defendants during the trial. 

David Duong’s attorneys argued in court filings a couple weeks ago that Juarez’s tax returns may contain evidence that could help the defendants. Specifically, if Juarez didn’t report certain income to the IRS, that would be a crime, and this information could undermine Juarez’s credibility as a witness. 

Prosecutors objected, arguing that they don’t have access to Juarez’s tax returns. They also stated that the IRS agents who helped investigate the case can’t view them without a court order because they were not participating in a tax investigation.

Rogers’ ruling nips the defense’s strategy in the bud. However, Rogers will allow the defendants to bring up Juarez’s past involvement in lawsuits where he has been accused of defrauding people, with some limits. 

Juarez allegedly received $600,000 just days after the FBI raids

To try to convince Judge Rogers of the importance of the tax records, Duong’s attorneys pointed to the fact that Juarez has had multiple state and federal liens placed on his assets over the years.  

They also cited several sources of income they know Juarez received in the last few years. That includes nearly $12,000 the FBI paid to Juarez in the summer of 2024 for a rental car and a hotel after he was involved in a shooting outside his house. 

Defense counsel also cited payments from California Waste Solutions and Evolutionary Homes. According to court records, Juarez told the FBI he received a $75,000 check from California Waste Solutions, allegedly to pay for negative political mailers, and that he pocketed $30,000. Juarez also received payments from ABC Security Solutions for helping its owner lobby Oakland city officials, according to court records. 

Perhaps the most eye-popping detail is buried in court filings filed by Neal Stephens, an attorney representing David Duong. According to Stephens, an attorney on Duong’s team met with prosecutors last month to discuss whether their witness qualified for a public defender “because it appears that Mario Juarez may have received a wire for $600,000 on or about June 28, 2024.” 

This would have been eight days after federal agents raided the homes and offices of Thao, Jones, and David and Andy Duong. 

Stephens’ declaration doesn’t include any proof that Juarez received this payment, or describe who, allegedly, it would have been from. 

Oakland’s controversial private security vendor resurfaces in federal records

The defendants have also shed more light on Juarez’s relationship with a city contractor, ABC Security Services. 

In a February 2025 interview with the FBI, Juarez said that he received about $130,000 from ABC Security in 2022 and 2023. Juarez told federal agents about $100,000 was for unregistered lobbying. A summary of Juarez’s interview was shared with the defense attorneys. 

Invoices included with this declaration show that Ciudad Holdings, a company controlled by Juarez, invoiced ABC Security for $50,000 on October 8, 2022 with a note stating that the “service total cost” was for $100,000. Juarez sent ABC Security a second invoice for $30,000 on October 26, 2022. 

Public records show that Juarez lobbied city officials on behalf of ABC Security in December 2022 when the company was in danger of not being considered for a new contract to guard City Hall and other municipal facilities. Juarez, who was not registered with the city as a lobbyist, had done several real estate deals with ABC’s owner, Ana Chretien, and the two are close friends. Months after Juarez’s lobbying, Thao, as the new mayor, appears to have intervened to help ABC hold onto its contract even after city staff recommended a different firm get the award. 

Chretien and Juarez did not respond to interview requests.

Two years ago, the Alameda County District Attorney’s office alleged that Juarez had been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars by California Waste Solutions and ABC Security. The DA – which at the time was charging Juarez with passing a bad check – claimed in a court filing that “These companies have valuable contracts with the city of Oakland and an interest in the election of then candidate for mayor, Sheng Thao.” 

The DA wrote that Juarez was essentially a “conduit for these companies to help the mayor win and preserve and enhance these companies’ access to taxpayer-funded contracts.” 

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