Defense challenges star witness in bribery trial of ex-Oakland mayor

Defense attorneys for former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and her co-defendants have been trying to frame Mario Juarez, who cooperated with FBI for a lighter sentence, as unreliable.OAKLAND, Calif. (CN) — Oakland businessman and political mover Mario Juarez continued his testimony Thursday to his role in what he characterizes as a corruption scheme including ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao.Juarez claims Thao agreed to accept $300,000 in bribes in exchange for using her position to ensure city contracts for Juarez’s container home company Evolutionary Homes.The company was co-founded with co-defendant Andy Duong and funded by his father, David Duong, who also owns Oakland waste management company, California Waste Solutions.Juarez says the bribery scheme also included an agreement for a 10-year extension for the waste management company’s city contracts.Thao, her partner Andre Jones, and the Duongs face charges of bribery, conspiracy and fraud. All four have pleaded not guilty.Juarez agreed to cooperate with the government in exchange to pleading only one count of conspiracy to commit a bribe, with the hope of a lesser sentence than the possible 95 years in prison Thao may face if found guilty of all charges.Andy Duong’s attorney Douglas Sprague continued his cross-examination on Juarez’s sixth day of testimony, prompting Juarez to answer questions about the lead up to Thao’s election in 2022.Part of the scheme, according to Juarez, was he would fund $75,000 for negative mailers about Thao’s mayoral opponents, in exchange for Thao’s promise to help Evolutionary Homes.Juarez also funded a negative mailer against Oakland District Attorney Pamela Price, calling her a misspelled “looser” with a shady history.U.S. Assistant Attorney Abraham Fine objected frequently to Sprague’s questioning based on relevance.Sprague also asked about Juarez’s history of writing checks from accounts knowing there was not enough money in the account to cover the check — a scenario he admitted happened with the printer of the negative mailers, because he moved money out of the account.“I don’t deny it,” he said. “I would do that.”Around the same time Juarez said he struck a deal with Thao, Juarez said he sent a handwritten list of items to Vice President for the Port of Oakland Andreas Cluver that he hoped he would get through the relationship with Thao.One item included a possible at-large position on the Oakland City Council for Juarez. Juarez testified that while he made the list, he never actually had discussions with Thao about the council position.“No one had promised to appoint you to Ms. Kaplan’s seat, correct?” asked Sprague.“No one promised,” answered Juarez. After Juarez’s admittance, prosecutors looked concerned and started taking notes.Sprague also questioned Juarez about his texts to Thao and Jones about the Oakland Public Works Director’s denial to extend a city contract for a security business owned by his godmother Ana Chretien.Juarez said he was disgusted by the director’s decision and pressured Oakland politicians to reconsider the extension. In February 2023, Oakland City Council extended the security company’s contract.Sprague also spent a large chunk of time questioning Juarez about May 3, 2024, when Juarez was assaulted in front of California Waste Solutions and Evolutionary Homes headquarters near the Oakland waterfront.Juarez testified he was locked out of the building and was confronted by the Duong family telling him to leave.Sprague asked if he came to that location carrying a gun. Juarez said he owned lots of guns and often carries them in Oakland.Juarez, wearing a black blazer and blue jeans, became upset when Sprague questioned him about a gold chain and a watch taken from him on May 3. He visibly choked up, saying the watch, which he characterized to Oakland police as a $40,000 Rolex, was a gift from his wife. The Rolex was found to be fake.For the last hour Thursday, Sheng Thao’s attorney Jeff Tsai started his cross-examination of Juarez. Tsai tried to use Juarez’s words against him, saying he previously testified, “in politics, you don’t write things down.”“Mr. Tsai, I had a deal with your client, I wrote it down,” said Juarez.The trial is scheduled to run until Nov. 24, but Chief U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers perturbed about how much longer the trial will go — much longer, the Barack Obama appointee said, then what the attorneys originally estimated.Other witnesses to be called include Alameda County Chief of Staff Cesley Frost, former project manager in the Oakland’s economic workforce development Larry Gallegos, former Evolutionary Homes employee Julie Wedge and Thao’s press secretary Francis Zamora, among others.“This is remarkable that you got these estimates so incredibly wrong,” Rogers told the attorneys.Rogers informed the 16-person jury, the trial will likely go into the second week of December. Juarez’s testimony continues Friday.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads