Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao is on trial in federal court in connection with a complex corruption scheme that prosecutors say involve her romantic partner, election mailers, and contracts for homes built from shipping containers.
Thao was recalled by voters in 2024 after FBI agents raided her home and the residences of her alleged co-conspirators.
Thao is accused of trading government contracts worth millions of dollars for free election mailers and payouts made to her longtime partner, Andre Jones, who is also on trial.
David Duong and his son Andy Duong are accused of using bribes to benefit their companies, one that works in recycling and one that manufactures homes for the homeless out of shipping containers.
The prosecution and defense completed jury selection this week and began opening statements Wednesday, according to the Chronicle (opens in new tab). Here’s what you can expect in the coming weeks.
The players
Sheng Thao: The 51st mayor of Oakland who was recalled in November 2024. In January 2025, she was indicted on six federal counts, including conspiracy, bribery, and mail and wire fraud. She is accused of exchanging local government contracts for campaign favors leading up to her election in 2022. Thao has pleaded not guilty.
Andre Jones: Thao’s longtime romantic partner; they both worked for former Oakland City Council member Rebecca Kaplan. Like Thao, Jones is charged with six counts of conspiracy, bribery, and mail and wire fraud. The indictment accuses him of arranging and accepting payments from David and Andy Duong, including $300,000 for a “no show job.” Jones has pleaded not guilty.
David Duong: The founder and CEO of California Waste Solutions and the chairman of Evolutionary Homes. Duong employed several of his children at California Waste Solutions, including Andy. Duong allegedly arranged with Thao to receive millions of dollars in city contracts for his two companies if she was elected. Duong is charged with six counts of conspiracy, bribery, and mail and wire fraud, and has pleaded not guilty.
Andy Duong: Cofounder of Evolutionary Homes and employee of California Waste Solutions. Much of the prosecution’s initial indictment was drawn from text messages and recordings between Duong and Evolutionary Homes cofounder Mario Juarez, which detail conversations with Thao and Jones and agreements between the two parties. Duong is charged with seven counts, including making false statements, and has pleaded not guilty.
Mario Juarez: Cofounder of Evolutionary Homes. The company was in talks with Oakland (opens in new tab) and Berkeley (opens in new tab) council members in an effort to obtain government contracts. Juarez has been implicated in dozens of civil lawsuits but managed to maintain political ties in Oakland, according to Oaklandside (opens in new tab). He pleaded guilty to one count of bribery and has been cooperating with prosecutors who are using him as a key witness in the trial.
The allegations
Prosecutors allege that Andy Duong and Juarez promised $300,000 to Jones in a “no-show job,” payments that would also benefit Thao. At least $95,000 of that was allegedly paid. Andy Duong and Juarez also agreed to manage $75,000 in election mailers supporting Thao, as well as the websites TaylorFraud.com (opens in new tab) and StopIgnacio.com (opens in new tab), ahead of her 2022 election, prosecutors say.
In return, prosecutors allege, Thao allowed the Duongs and Juarez to influence political appointments and promised to extend California Waste Solutions’ contract with the city of Oakland. Thao also agreed to purchase millions of dollars worth of modular homes from Evolutionary Homes, according to the indictment.
The original indictment included excerpted text messages in which Juarez and Andy Duong appear to directly discuss the bribes, including the following exchange:
What to watch
Juarez’s witness testimony and cross-examination is likely to be among the most revealing in the trial. Former San Leandro Councilmember Bryan Azevedo, who pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from Andy Duong and Juarez related to Evolutionary Homes, will also testify.
Several FBI agents who raided the homes of Thao and Jones, David Duong, and Andy Duong are listed as witnesses, as are five people, including Azevedo, who were part of a 2023 trip to Vietnam highlighted in the indictment. Among them were two Port of Oakland employees and a former city of Oakland employee, Larry Gallegos, who was allegedly promoted at the Duongs’ request. The Duongs, Jones, and Thao were also part of that trip (opens in new tab), according to the indictment.
The trial is scheduled (opens in new tab) to last six weeks, ending around Thanksgiving.