A Recalled Mayor, Three Co-Defendants, and a Six-Week Reckoning

There is a particular weight that settles over a courtroom when a city's former leader takes a seat at the defendant's table. It is not the weight of presumption—all are innocent until proven otherwise—but of something else: the awareness that power, once held, is being examined under a different kind of light. In Oakland this week, that examination has begun. Jury selection concluded Tuesday, and opening statements are set to begin Wednesday in the federal corruption trial of former Mayor Sheng Thao and three co-defendants .

Thao, 41, who was elected mayor in 2022 and recalled by voters in 2024, faces charges of conspiracy and bribery . Her romantic partner, Andre Jones, 55, and David Duong, 68, and his son Andy Duong, 37—prominent Oakland businessmen with ties to the recycling industry—also face charges . All four have pleaded not guilty . If convicted on the most serious charges, each could face up to 20 years in prison .

Prosecutors allege that the Duongs, who own California Waste Solutions, orchestrated a scheme to bribe Thao and Jones to advance their business interests . The government claims the Duongs provided $95,000 in cash payments to Jones, funded $75,000 in political attack ads against Thao's mayoral opponents in 2022, and promised Jones a $300,000-a-year no-show job through a company called Evolutionary Homes . In exchange, prosecutors say, Thao agreed to help secure city contracts for Evolutionary Homes and California Waste Solutions .

The case hinges largely on the testimony of Mario Juarez, a former business partner of the Duongs who began cooperating with the FBI in 2024 after a falling-out with the family . Defense attorneys are expected to challenge Juarez's credibility, pointing to a history of lawsuits and what they describe as "a steady pattern of dishonesty and fraud" . Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who is presiding over the trial, has acknowledged that Juarez's credibility could pose a significant issue for the prosecution .

The trial follows a years-long investigation that drew national attention when FBI agents raided Thao's home, the California Waste Solutions offices, and the Duong family residences in June 2024 . Thao was indicted in January 2025 on six counts of conspiracy and bribery . Stanford Law School professor Robert Weisberg, who has followed the case, described the government's evidence as "a pretty strong case" even under recent Supreme Court decisions narrowing public corruption prosecutions .

Jury selection took a full day, with 75 prospective jurors questioned about their exposure to media coverage and their views on public officials . One of Thao's attorneys asked the entire pool whether her status as a recalled mayor would affect their judgment; none raised their hands . Twelve jurors were sworn in Tuesday, with the trial expected to last approximately six weeks .

Opening statements begin Wednesday at the Ronald V. Dellums Courthouse in Oakland .

The images in this article are AI-generated and used solely for illustrative purposes.

Sources: Courthouse News Service, ABC7 San Francisco, The Mercury News, KALW, Times Herald Online, KQED