One year ago today, the feds arrived in the East Bay

Special Double-Issue! What began as an Oakland story is slowly growing into something bigger

-PHOTO ILLUSTRATION-

☕️MORNING BUZZ

—On the morning of June 20, 2024, my phone lit up with voicemails and text messages. What did I know about rumors that FBI agents had raided the home of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao? Nobody had a good guess.

I ran a number of recent controversies in Oakland through my mind, but nothing seemed able to rise to the level of a federal raid. During one early morning conversation, it came to me—the Duongs. (For the record: My second guess was Howard Terminal and the A’s.)

Later that morning, news broke that not only was Thao’s home raided, but also the homes and offices of David Duong and Andy Duong. The breadth of the FBI’s investigation was revealed, immediately resetting the city’s politics.

Thao was in the early stages of facing a recall in November. Her chances for avoiding removal from office after just two years on the job was already doubtful. The images of FBI agents removing boxes from her home essentially cinched her recall.

In the meantime, Thao forcefully denied she was a target of the FBI’s investigation. Overall, it created reasonable doubt at the time among some in Oakland, but the story was shattered in early January when a federal indictment charged Thao; her partner, Andre Jones, and the Duongs with bribery, conspiracy, and fraud.

In the next weeks or months, indictments against San Leandro Councilmember Bryan Azevedo, for some of the same charges, could be next. Or, does he turn state’s evidence against the indicted quartet?

This complex case—spanning from illegally financed political mailers, no-show jobs, housing and garbage contracts, international trips, sex, drugs, but probably not rock and roll—focuses on whether political favors were exchanged for private gain.

It implicates the highest levels of Alameda County local government in what will be one of the most significant local corruption cases in recent memory. It started in Oakland, moved to San Leandro, and it will eventually envelop other jurisdictions over the next year.

SCANDAL IN THE EAST BAY: A TIMELINE

• 2023: Oakland businessman Mario Juarez creates a container-home venture named Evolutionary Homes.

• July-Aug. 2023: “Trade mission” to Vietnam, including the Duongs, Thao, and other local elected officials, raises suspicion.

• May 3, 2024: Juarez alleges that he was beaten at the Duongs offices on the Embarcadero in Oakland

• June 9, 2024: Juarez alleges that he was the victim of an assassination attempt in front of his home.

• June 20, 2024: FBI raids home of Thao and Jones, homes and offices of David Duong and Andy Duong.

• Nov. 2024: Thao is recalled as Oakland mayor; San Leandro Councilmember Bryan Azevedo narrowly wins re-election.

• Jan. 15, 2025: FBI agents search Azevedo’s home.

• Jan. 17, 2025: FBI issues indictments, including eight counts of bribery, conspiracy and fraud against Thao, Jones, and the Duongs.

• May 12, 2025: U.S. Attorney sends target letter to Azevedo notifying him that he’s under investigation for some of the same crimes alleged against Thao and the Duongs.

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—MORE INSIDE:

• Why did the FBI raids in Oakland occur in June 2024? Perhaps, because their star witness was under attack?

• In a letter, dated in May 2024, Juarez alleged he was beaten and then coerced into making a video apologizing to the owner of California Waste Solutions.

• Oakland City Council approves controversial billboard deal amid legal concerns the issue is under investigation by another entity.

• While other East Bay cities are clamoring for more police officers, Alameda is budgeting for fewer.

• Hayward’s budget deficit grew to $16.1 million—the third-highest in the county; officials approve $7.2 million in cuts, with more to come.

• Hayward Mayor Mark Salinas hopes labor unions will help reduce impacts on the city’s budget. However, Salinas once voted for imposing a 5% wage cut on the same employees a decade ago.

• San Leandro is not only planning to expand the number of licensed dispensaries, but also reshaping the map of permitted locations.