Thao Returns to Court as Jurors See Videos in Corruption Trial

October 26, 2026

Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao was back in federal court on October 26 as her bribery and corruption trial continued. Defense lawyers challenged the credibility of political operative Mario Juarez, a co-defendant who has pleaded guilty and is expected to testify later this week.

Jurors saw video from an August 2023 trade mission flight to Vietnam, a trip whose expenses were mostly covered by David Duong, founder of California Waste Solutions. The footage shows Duong, Thao, her partner Andre Jones and David Duong’s son, Andy, together on the flight. In the recording, Andy Duong refers to an Oakland jersey and Thao responds that she was the city’s 51st mayor.

The FBI’s lead investigator was questioned for a third day by defense teams, who challenged her handling of financial and phone records. Prosecutors allege the defendants took part in a pay-to-play scheme. A legal analyst cautioned that prosecutors should not ask jurors to convict simply because the video makes the defendants look bad, while noting that the footage could affect how jurors view the case.

Other exhibits included a recording of a confrontation between Juarez and David Duong. Juarez demanded money he said he was owed, including $800,000. Testimony indicated Juarez had put more than $80,000 into the Evolutionary Homes project, which had not secured cities to buy converted shipping containers intended as housing for homeless people.

The confrontation escalated, and Juarez later said he had been beaten by men called by the Duongs. Jurors also saw footage of an ambulance at the scene. The trial is expected to turn to Juarez’s testimony later this week.

Thao Trial Puts Alleged Oakland Pay-to-Play Scheme in Focus

October 26, 2026

The trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao continued on October 26 with jurors examining evidence in a federal bribery and corruption case that prosecutors describe as a pay-to-play scheme. The footage and testimony put the alleged links among Thao and her co-defendants before the jury, while defense lawyers attacked the credibility of Mario Juarez, a co-defendant who has pleaded guilty.

One video showed Thao, her partner Andre Jones, California Waste Solutions founder David Duong and his son Andy aboard a plane carrying a trade delegation to Vietnam in 2023. David Duong covered most of the trip’s expenses. The FBI’s lead investigator also faced a third day of cross-examination, with defense teams questioning her handling of financial and phone records.

The exhibits included a confrontation in which Juarez demanded money he said he was owed, including $800,000. Testimony indicated he had invested more than $80,000 in Evolutionary Homes, a project that had not found cities willing to buy converted containers for housing homeless people. The encounter escalated; Juarez said men called by the Duongs beat him, and jurors saw footage of an ambulance at the scene.

The evidence raises the stakes of a case about alleged public corruption, not merely a disputed business payment. Still, a legal analyst warned prosecutors against asking jurors to treat unflattering visuals as proof of guilt. Juarez is expected to testify later this week, giving the defense an opportunity to challenge the account at the center of the case.

Jurors See Evidence as Thao Defense Challenges Key Witness

October 26, 2026

As prosecutors press a corruption case against Oakland’s former mayor, Sheng Thao, and three people charged alongside her, the defense is challenging the credibility of a central government witness. Political operative Mario Juarez has pleaded guilty, and defense lawyers argued on October 26 that jurors cannot trust him. He is expected to testify later this week.

The government’s evidence included video of Thao, her partner Andre Jones, and David and Andy Duong together on a 2023 flight to Vietnam, a trip largely funded by David Duong. But a legal analyst cautioned that prosecutors should not turn footage that looks unfavorable into a substitute for proof. The FBI’s lead investigator was also questioned for a third day about her handling of financial and phone records.

Jurors saw a recording of Juarez demanding money he said he was owed, including $800,000. Testimony indicated Juarez had invested more than $80,000 in a project to sell converted containers as housing for homeless people, but the venture had not secured cities willing to purchase them. The confrontation escalated, and Juarez said men called by the Duongs beat him; jurors also saw video of an ambulance at the scene.

The prosecution alleges a pay-to-play scheme, but the allegations remain for jurors to assess against the evidence and the defense’s challenges. Juarez’s anticipated testimony later this week is likely to bring that credibility dispute directly into the trial.