Federal prosecutors are reportedly considering calling San Leandro City Councilman Bryan Azevedo as a witness in the upcoming bribery and fraud trial against former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. The revelation emerged during a federal court hearing, where Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine hinted at broader corruption across the East Bay, particularly in Oakland.
Azevedo, who is due to appear in court on February 12, faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and lying to a government agency after allegedly accepting a $2,000 bribe from a fledgling housing company. His defense team has hinted at a possible plea deal, with Azevedo's lawyer stating that his client is "close to reaching a resolution" in his case.
The prospect of Azevedo taking the stand in Thao's trial has raised questions about potential evidence and witness testimony. Thao's attorney, Jeffrey Tsai, revealed that he had sought information from federal prosecutors regarding an unnamed co-conspirator believed to be longtime Oakland political operative Mario Juarez. The alleged corrupt activity involves "unlawful contributions" by straw donors to evade campaign finance regulations.
Prosecutors claim to have evidence suggesting that Andy Duong and others attempted to bribe various city officials, including Thao. This comes as a new development in the ongoing investigation into the Duongs' use of straw donors to funnel money to City Council candidates. The scheme allegedly dates back to 2013, when California Waste Solutions was negotiating with the city to buy and lease land for recycling facilities.
As Thao's trial approaches on October 19, her defense team has focused on discrediting Juarez's credibility, highlighting his lengthy history of criminal charges and civil disputes. Prosecutors maintain that they built most of their case against Thao without Juarez's assistance, stating that they had been investigating the bribery scheme for over a year before speaking to him.
In related news, regulators have accused Andy Duong of orchestrating another elaborate scheme to improve his family's business with local lawmakers and officials by illegally funneling thousands of dollars to campaign chests. The trial will determine the fate of Thao, Jones, and the Duongs, who all plead not guilty to the charges against them.
Azevedo, who is due to appear in court on February 12, faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and lying to a government agency after allegedly accepting a $2,000 bribe from a fledgling housing company. His defense team has hinted at a possible plea deal, with Azevedo's lawyer stating that his client is "close to reaching a resolution" in his case.
The prospect of Azevedo taking the stand in Thao's trial has raised questions about potential evidence and witness testimony. Thao's attorney, Jeffrey Tsai, revealed that he had sought information from federal prosecutors regarding an unnamed co-conspirator believed to be longtime Oakland political operative Mario Juarez. The alleged corrupt activity involves "unlawful contributions" by straw donors to evade campaign finance regulations.
Prosecutors claim to have evidence suggesting that Andy Duong and others attempted to bribe various city officials, including Thao. This comes as a new development in the ongoing investigation into the Duongs' use of straw donors to funnel money to City Council candidates. The scheme allegedly dates back to 2013, when California Waste Solutions was negotiating with the city to buy and lease land for recycling facilities.
As Thao's trial approaches on October 19, her defense team has focused on discrediting Juarez's credibility, highlighting his lengthy history of criminal charges and civil disputes. Prosecutors maintain that they built most of their case against Thao without Juarez's assistance, stating that they had been investigating the bribery scheme for over a year before speaking to him.
In related news, regulators have accused Andy Duong of orchestrating another elaborate scheme to improve his family's business with local lawmakers and officials by illegally funneling thousands of dollars to campaign chests. The trial will determine the fate of Thao, Jones, and the Duongs, who all plead not guilty to the charges against them.
San Leandro's Bryan Azevedo getting called as a witness in Sheng Thao's trial? That's like, super suspicious, you know? 
I mean, what if he's just trying to save his own skin by throwing someone else under the bus? 
The fact that they're investigating Mario Juarez too? 
That's some deep stuff. And what about all these straw donors and campaign finance regulations? It's like, a whole mess! 
I don't even know who to trust at this point. Like, are the prosecutors just trying to pin everything on Thao or is there really something fishy going on here? 
Thao's team seems to be trying to discredit Juarez, but what if they're just trying to deflect attention from their own questionable dealings? I'm not saying Thao is innocent or anything, but let's not rush to judgment just yet. And what about the Duongs? They're the ones who seem to have been involved in some serious shady business... 
This bribery and corruption case is getting way more complicated by the minute! In my opinion, it's clear that there's a big problem brewing in Oakland, especially when it comes to campaign finance regulations. I mean, straw donors trying to evade laws? That's just not right 
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. This whole thing is getting messy, but I'm glad we're finally starting to see more info come out about what was going on in Oakland 
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or is it just going to be a 'he got caught' kinda thing?
This whole bribery and fraud trial is just a mess 
. But what about all the other city officials who might be connected to this scheme? It feels like they're playing catch-up on this one 
. And let's not forget about the straw donors - it's just too many cooks in the kitchen 
. I mean, can't we just get to the bottom of this already? The whole thing is so convoluted 
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. The whole Duong family scheme is like a masterclass in corruption - I mean, who needs campaign finance laws when you can just funnel money through straw donors, right? 
Can't wait to see how it all unfolds!
and what about juarez tho?? he's been involved in all these shady dealings for years & now he's just an unnamed co-conspirator ?? 
anyway this whole thing is just so complicated i'm low-key excited for the trial though 
. And let's not forget the Duongs' scheme with straw donors - that's some serious dirty stuff 
. I just hope justice is served on October 19th 
. The fact that prosecutors are building their case without Juarez's help just means they're trying to cover their own backsides 
Can you believe this is how politics work? A bunch of wheeling and dealing, like a big ol' game of "keep away" with cash 
I guess you could say their scheme was just a "donation" of effort