Sheng Thao won't ask to move criminal case out of Oakland
Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao arrives at the federal courthouse with her attorney, Jeff Tsai. April 24, 2025
OAKLAND, Calif. - Lawyers for former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao told a federal judge that they won't be asking to move her criminal bribery case out of Oakland, something they had brought up as a possibility at a prior court hearing.
Attorney Jeffrey Tsai filed a notice last week in U.S. District Court in Northern California, notifying Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers that Thao, her partner Andre Jones and father-and-son duo who run California Waste Solutions, David and Andy Duong, will not be moving for a transfer of venue.
Tsai's motion indicates that Thao had an outside consultant conduct jury research in September, and while there are "multiple prejudice concerns," the former mayor and the others concluded that the prejudice is not so pervasive that they couldn't get a fair trial in Oakland, the city she once served until she was recalled in 2024.
The Department of Justice charged Thao with federal bribery, mail fraud and wire fraud, accusing her of conspiring with Jones and the Duongs in a ‘pay-to-play’ scheme where she allegedly promised city contracts and benefits in exchange for campaign funding and cash for Jones.
All four have pleaded not guilty and remain out of custody.
Also, this month, Tsai filed a separate motion to suppress "all fruits of the search" of Tho's home on June 20, 2024, when the FBI raided her property, along with the Duongs.
That's because the criminal case against her, Tsai and the other defense attorneys argue, is built on the accusations of a single government cooperator, with dubious credibility issues, and who has an "extraordinary breath" of civil and criminal charges.
The motion doesn't name this person, but he has been identified in news reports, including KTVU, as Mario Juarez.
The charges against Thao have no evidence – including any note, text, email or anything else – showing that the former mayor ever agreed to any bribery scheme.
"Instead, the allegations reflect one individual’s attempt to gain clout and riches through a housing development business and fabrication of a partnership with the now-former mayor of Oakland to advance his goal," Tsai wrote.
The government has until Jan. 15 to respond.
Meanwhile, the judge set a trial date for Oct. 19, 2026. Attorneys have estimated the trial could take a total of five weeks.