Azevedo charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and lying to FBI
Charges suggest Azevedo is cooperating with federal authorities
CITY NEWS
SAN LEANDRO
—JUDGMENT DAY—San Leandro Councilmember Bryan Azevedo was charged on Tuesday with conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and making false statements to federal investigators, marking the latest expansion of an FBI public corruption probe that began in Oakland and has now spread across the East Bay.
—The felony charges carry potential penalties of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for wire fraud, and five years and $250,000 for lying to the FBI. Azevedo has not been arrested, according to court filings.
—Unlike an indictment, the seven-page “information” filing indicates Azevedo waived his right to a grand jury, a move that strongly suggests he is cooperating with federal prosecutors and is likely to plead guilty.
—Federal prosecutors allege that Azevedo accepted benefits from a business group tied to Oakland recycling executives David and Andy Duong, including a paid trip to Vietnam in 2023.
—The trip, which also included then-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and other East Bay officials, was publicly billed as a trade mission promoting Port of Oakland partnerships.
—Investigators allege that after returning from the trip, Azevedo met with Co-Conspirator 1, likely to be Andy Duong, and agreed to use his influence as a councilmember to help the Duongs’ company, Evolutionary Homes, secure a city contract in exchange for a share of any resulting sales.
—In September 2023, Azevedo allegedly formed BCP Consulting LLC, an entity registered in his wife’s name, and opened a bank account for it. The existence of the LLC was reported by East Bay Insiders in August.
—Soon after, at a dinner in Alameda, Andy Duong allegedly gave Azevedo $2,000 in cash, which prosecutors describe as a payoff for his support of Evolutionary Homes.
—Days later, Azevedo deposited the cash and began advocating for a local homelessness emergency declaration—a move that could have fast-tracked contracts for the Duongs’ housing firm. He later voted in favor of the ordinance at a June 17, 2024 City Council meeting.
—Federal agents say Azevedo later lied about both the cash payment and his knowledge of the Duongs’ business dealings in San Leandro.
—The charges come months after a series of indictments were announced in January against Thao; her partner Andre Jones, and David and Andy Duong.
Together, the filings depict what prosecutors describe as a multi-year pay-to-play network connecting business interests to local officials from Oakland to San Leandro.
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