San Leandro Councilmember Bryan Azevedo under federal investigation for bribery and conspiracy
BREAKING NEWS: U.S. Attorney's office notified Azevedo last month that he's the target of a federal probe
FBI PROBE
SAN LEANDRO
—BREAKING NEWS—Embattled San Leandro Councilmember Bryan Azevedo is under federal investigation for conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery concerning programs that receive federal funding, and providing false statements to investigators.
—The potential criminal charges were included in a target letter Azevedo received from the acting U.S. Attorney on May 12, notifying him of his legal exposure and rights.
—The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California gave Azevedo until May 30 to contact their office. If not, the “matter will proceed in the ordinary course of prosecution,” according to the letter.
—It’s not known if Azevedo procured legal representation and complied with the demand. He has resisted hiring an attorney because of its cost, he told ABC7 Bay Area in April.
—The letter offers the contours of potential violations of several federal statutes, including:
18 U.S.C. § 371 – Conspiracy to commit bribery (Maximum penalty: Five years in prison, $250,000 fine).
18 U.S.C. § 666 – Bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds (Maximum penalty: 10 years in prison, $250,000 fine).
18 U.S.C. § 1001 – Making false statements in a federal investigation (Maximum penalty: Five years in prison, $250,000).
—Two of the three criminal violations listed are the same that were handed down earlier this year to former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao; her partner, Andre Jones; and David Duong and Andy Duong of California Waste Solutions. The third violation, making false statements, was also charged to Andy Duong.
—The letter is a sign that Azevedo’s exposure to legal jeopardy is extremely high, two legal experts said. It also indicates that federal authorities are interested in offering Azevedo a deal in order to gain more leverage on their top target, the Duongs.
—The nature of the alleged bribery scheme is not yet publicly known, but believed to be similar to the indictments against Thao, Jones, and the Duongs in January.
—Federal officials allege Thao accepted financial benefits in exchange for official actions favoring the Duongs' businesses; including California Waste Solutions, Oakland’s recycling provider; and Evolutionary Homes, a container home start-up that sought to fast-track the purchase and regulatory approval of the units in Oakland.
—Public documents requested from the city of San Leandro earlier this year, show Azevedo, along with another councilmember, urged city staff to look into bringing Evolutionary Homes to San Leandro.
—Records show city staff was apprehensive of the proposal while the councilmembers urged for passage of an emergency resolution remove several bureaucratic barriers that would have hasten the purchase of the container homes.
—This marks the latest in a series of legal troubles for Azevedo, who has faced mounting scrutiny in recent months over his alleged involvement in the ongoing federal public corruption case.
—The outcome of this federal investigation could have significant political and legal consequences for Azevedo and the city.
—Azevedo was re-elected to the District 2 council seat last November, trading on his long-established reputation for personally providing ground-level community service.
—Despite a lack of legislative acumen, Azevedo narrowly lost the 2022 mayoral race, winning the most first-place votes, but ultimately losing the ranked choice voting race.
—For more: Watch ABC7 Bay Area at 6 p.m. this evening and listen to the next episode of the East Bay Insiders Podcast, available for download on Wednesday morning at Apple Podcasts, Spotify.
