Exclusive: Letter warned Attorney General Bonta of 'compromising' video linked to indicted East Bay family
A bombshell letter from the FBI’s key informant alleged that Andy Duong possessed a covert video of Attorney General Rob Bonta, and was alleged to have blackmailed other East Bay elected officials
—The key informant in the FBI’s East Bay public-corruption probe sent a letter to California Attorney General Rob Bonta in May 2024 warning him that Andy Duong — one of the indicted owners of Evolutionary Homes charged with conspiracy to commit bribery — possessed surveillance footage of Bonta in a “compromising situation.”
The letter reveals that Bonta was aware of the scope of the FBI’s investigation for sometime, and the revelation could help explain why Bonta’s re-election campaign spent nearly $500,000 on legal fees related to the Duong case, as reported by KCRA.
Bonta is also rumored to be eyeing a run for California governor. Last year, Bonta quashed speculation about a run to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, saying he intended to remain focus on his duties as attorney general.
“I hold you in high regard for your commitment to justice and integrity, which is why I feel compelled to bring this issue to your attention,” wrote Mario Juarez, the founder of Evolutionary Homes and the individual widely believed to be “Co-Conspirator #1” in the January indictments of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, her partner Andre Jones, and David and Andy Duong.
“It has also import[ant] that you know that Andy Duong in particular has a recording of you in a compromising situation and that he routinely engages in entertaining elected and other officials to extract recordings without their knowledge for later use in blackmail circumstances,” Juarez wrote.
He added that release of such recordings could cause “public embarrassment at the least” or expose “illicit activities, including the use of drugs.” It is unclear whether Juarez was alleging misconduct by Bonta himself or by others.
There is no evidence as of yet that blackmail is part of the FBI’s case. However, East Bay political circles have long traded rumors about Andy Duong allegedly capturing public officials in embarrassing situations. His own Instagram posts have shown him encouraging people into awkward scenarios, including one widely viewed video at Evolutionary Homes’ Oakland showroom.
The May 9, 2024 letter reads like an outline of the corruption case that would unfold over the next seven months — and its timing suggests it may have been the spark that preceded the June 20 FBI raids on the homes of Thao and the Duongs.
Dan Newman, spokesperson for Bonta’s re-election campaign, said the attorney general received the letter and it was “immediately shared with law enforcement and they provided appropriate follow up.”
A FBI spokesperson declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation.
Juarez also leveled broader allegations in the letter, accusing the Duong family of “money laundering, illegal political donations, falsification of contracts, and exploitation of straw donors,” and even “facilitating prostitution for elected officials, including minors.”
He described Jones receiving large payments for “fictitious work,” totaling $80,000 during Thao’s 2022 mayoral run. (Jones’s federal indictment later alleged he received $95,000 from the Duongs for a “no-show” job.)
Juarez, a longtime Democratic insider, has long-standing ties to Rob and Mia Bonta, frequently hosting their fundraisers at his Oakland office.
The Bontas also had a well-documented relationship with the Duongs. Rob Bonta received $155,000 in campaign contributions from the family before refunding the donations after the June 2024 raids.
Andy Duong often showcased his ties to the Bontas on social media, posting numerous photos with the Sacramento power couple over the years.
Six days before sending the letter, on May 3, 2024, Juarez said he was assaulted outside the offices of California Waste Solutions, the Duong family’s recycling business.
He claimed he was locked out of office space provided by the Duongs, then beaten, threatened with guns and a knife, and robbed of a gold chain and Rolex.
Juarez alleged that he was then forced to record a video apology to David Duong, allegedly filmed by Andy and his sister, Kristina Duong. “It is evident that they intend to exploit this coerced apology to further their agenda,” he wrote.
Juarez told Bonta he feared for his life. “I do feel at this point that I am subject to possible murder attempts as this was told to me by Andy Duong,” he wrote.
On June 9, 2024, Juarez exchanged gunfire with individuals outside his Oakland home. He was uninjured, though his Chevy Suburban was riddled with bullets.
Prosecutors later charged Hermelindo Ramos-Ramos with firing at an inhabited dwelling and an unoccupied vehicle. Ramos-Ramos told ABC7 he acted in self-defense.
Eleven days after the shooting, FBI agents raided the homes of Thao and the Duongs — a dramatic escalation that aligned closely with the warnings in Juarez’s letter.
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—This isn’t the first time the East Bay Insiders has led the way on the East Bay’s public corruption case.
—East Bay Insiders subscribers learned about the main federal charges against San Leandro Councilmember Bryan Azevedo — his creation of a LLC allegedly at the behest of Andy Duong —two months before the incident was described in federal court.
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