1
CWS Recycling Monopoly Protection
Long-term extension and protection of California Waste Solutions' recycling monopoly — the same company the city previously forced to refund $6 million in overcharges.
The Definitive Exposé
THE SHENG
THAO FILES
The complete record of how Oakland's first recalled mayor sold out the city for personal enrichment — and the federal charges that followed.
From straw-donor schemes in 2018 to an 8-count federal indictment in 2025. The definitive exposé.
Federal IndictmentFPPC InvestigationsCity Auditor ReportCertified Recall Results
The Scandal at a Glance
The Numbers Don't Lie
Every figure below is documented in federal court records, state regulatory actions, and official city audits.
The Architecture of Corruption
The Duong Family Syndicate
Her 'refugee to mayor' story wasn't inspiration — it was cover. The Duongs bought Sheng Thao from the 2018 City Council race onward, engineering a brazen pay-to-play operation funded by illicit capital and protected by a cynical political narrative.
California Waste Solutions didn't just donate to a candidate — they constructed an entire straw-donor laundering apparatus designed to evade detection and maximize influence. Ninety-three separate contributions. Seventy-six thousand dollars. One purchased politician.
When Thao ascended to mayor, the syndicate's investment paid off exponentially. The same network that bought a City Council seat now controlled Oakland City Hall — and they intended to collect.
This wasn't sloppy corruption. It was a systematic operation engineered by illicit capital — and Sheng Thao was its most valuable asset.
$76,000 laundered across 93 straw-donor contributions during the 2018 City Council race — employees, relatives, and associates of California Waste Solutions used to circumvent campaign finance limits.
The Duong family — David and Andy Duong, CEOs of CWS — built a sophisticated laundering network that concealed the true source of funds while buying influence from day one.
CWS held a recycling monopoly the city had already challenged: Oakland previously forced the company to refund $6 million in overcharges. The Duongs didn't learn — they escalated.
What began as City Council-level corruption escalated to mayoral-level bribery: $95,000+ in no-show job payments, $75,000 in illicit negative mailers, and promises of up to $300,000 in total payoffs.
The Quid Pro Quo
What She Promised — And Delivered
The Duongs didn't buy goodwill. They bought specific policy outcomes — and Sheng Thao began fulfilling every promise immediately upon taking office in January 2023.
2
Evolutionary Homes Contracts
Direct city contracts for shipping-container housing via emergency declarations, bypassing competitive bidding and normal oversight.
3
Duong-Chosen Appointments
Installation of Duong-family loyalists into senior city positions, ensuring the syndicate's influence inside City Hall.
No transition period. No learning curve. The payoffs began on day one of her mayoralty — proof that this was never about serving Oakland. It was about serving the syndicate that purchased her seat.
The Bagman & The Shadow Executive
Andre Jones
Ten-year partner. No legitimate visible income. $95,000+ in bribe payments. The shadow power broker who operated inside City Hall while Oakland burned.
Andre Jones wasn't a campaign volunteer or a casual associate. He was Sheng Thao's 10-year political partner — a man with no legitimate visible income who nonetheless received over $95,000 through a fabricated “no-show job,” with promises of payments totaling up to $300,000.
Inside City Hall, Jones functioned as a shadow executive— wielding influence without accountability, brokering access, and operating as the syndicate's inside man while Thao performed the public-facing role.
When whistleblower Renia Webb confronted the operation, Jones told her to “keep quiet.” That wasn't damage control. That was consciousness of guilt — an admission that they knew exactly what they were doing and needed silence to survive.
$95,000+ Received
Paid through a no-show job — a classic bribery laundering mechanism with promises up to $300K total.
No Visible Income
A 10-year partner with no legitimate source of wealth — yet flush with campaign-connected cash.
Silenced a Whistleblower
Renia Webb's account exposes the operation from inside — and Jones's response proves they knew it was criminal.
The Public Safety Catastrophe
Systematic Dismantling of Public Safety
While the Duong syndicate collected its payoffs, Oakland descended into chaos. Sheng Thao didn't just fail to lead — she actively sabotaged the institutions meant to protect residents.
In February 2023, Thao fired Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong on questionable grounds — then blocked qualified replacements for nearly a full year during a historic crime wave. This wasn't incompetence. It was the systematic dismantling of public safety while a shadow network operated inside City Hall.
The Oakland City Auditor's report on the missed $15.6 million BSCC Organized Retail Theft grant is damning: “lack of organizational leadership” and “systemic rot.” City leadership had 73 days of awareness. They never applied. Oakland needed that money. She let it slip away.
44%
Jump in Auto Thefts
Vehicle theft surged under her watch while she dismantled the police department.
Top 1%
Property Crime Nationally
Oakland ranked among the worst cities in America for property crime during her tenure.
$15.6M
Grant Deliberately Missed
BSCC Organized Retail Theft grant — 73 days of awareness, never applied for.
A City in Collapse
Business exodus accelerated. Oakland's credit rating was downgraded. The Oakland A's — a civic institution for decades — announced their departure. Residents paid the price while Thao served her benefactors.
Leadership Vacuum
Nearly a year without a permanent police chief during the worst crime crisis in Oakland's modern history. The auditor's words — systemic rot — describe a mayor who treated public office as a personal enrichment scheme, not a sacred trust.
The Reckoning
Raids, Recall & Indictment
The 'refugee to mayor' narrative couldn't survive contact with federal investigators, a furious electorate, and the documented record of brazen pay-to-play corruption.
FBI / IRS / Postal Raids
Federal agents raided Sheng Thao's Maiden Lane home and Duong family properties. The catalyst: Mario Juarez's insider letter to Attorney General Rob Bonta — a whistleblower who exposed what Oakland's leadership tried to hide.
Recall Landslide
86,535 Oakland voters said Yes — 60.62% voted to remove her. Historic first: Oakland's first recalled mayor. The people saw through the 'refugee to mayor' shield and delivered their verdict.
8-Count Federal Indictment
The U.S. Attorney charged Sheng Thao, David Duong, Andy Duong, and Andre Jones with bribery, conspiracy, and honest services fraud. Up to 35 years in federal prison. Trial pending.
Mario Juarez put his name on the line. Renia Webb spoke up despite intimidation. Oakland voters delivered the largest recall margin in city history. Federal prosecutors built an 8-count case. The reckoning is documented, certified, and irreversible.
Trial Tracker
Federal Prosecution Status
Indicted January 17, 2025 | 8-Count Federal Indictment | Trial Pending
| Defendant | Role | Charges |
|---|---|---|
| Sheng Thao | Former Mayor of Oakland | Bribery, conspiracy, honest services fraud (8 counts total across indictment) |
| David Duong | CEO, California Waste Solutions | Conspiracy, bribery, honest services fraud |
| Andy Duong | President, California Waste Solutions | Conspiracy, bribery, honest services fraud |
| Andre Jones | Thao Campaign Operative / Bagman | Conspiracy, bribery, honest services fraud |
Core Allegations
The indictment alleges that Sheng Thao and her co-defendants engaged in a multi-year conspiracy to trade official acts for cash and campaign support. The Duong family allegedly funneled money through straw donors and direct payments — including $95,000+ to bagman Andre Jones and $75,000 in illicit negative mailers — in exchange for recycling monopoly protection, no-bid housing contracts, and loyalist appointments to senior city positions.
If convicted on all counts, defendants face substantial federal prison sentences — up to 35 years for the most serious charges.
This page will be updated with trial developments, new court filings, and evidence. Sign up below to receive alerts.
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