FBI brokers carried out an early-morning raid on the house of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Thursday morning, one among a number of federal raids on different properties within the metropolis.
Brokers served warrants at Thao’s home on Maiden Lane within the metropolis’s Lincoln Highlands neighborhood at round 5:30 a.m.
In an emailed assertion to CBS Information Bay Space, the FBI mentioned, “The FBI is conducting courtroom approved regulation enforcement exercise on Maiden Lane. We’re unable to offer further info at the moment.”
Simply after 10 a.m., a number of FBI brokers emerged from the house carrying containers as information crews staked out positions throughout the road. It was unclear what the brokers have been searching for or what was seized.
Federal brokers additionally served warrants at a close-by residence on Viewcrest Court docket within the metropolis’s Ridgemont neighborhood and on the Embarcadero places of work shared by the Vietnamese American Enterprise Affiliation (VABA) and California Waste Options which manages the town’s curbside recycling program.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported one other search on the Skyline Boulevard residence of VABA chairman David Duong, who can be CEO of California Waste Options.
The proprietor of the Viewcrest Court docket home is listed as Andrew Duong, the son of David Duong. Each VABA and California Waste Options listing a number of members of the Duong household on their management groups.
FBI brokers and IRS legal investigation particular brokers carried out about 20 containers of seized supplies, a lot of which had “Andy Duong” written on them.
California Waste Options has beforehand been investigated over marketing campaign contributions to Oakland metropolis officers, together with Thao when she was a metropolis councilmember, in line with Oaklandside. An organization staffer who recognized herself as Teresa Hoang mentioned the agency was cooperating with authorities and that it was “assured the federal government will conclude that they aren’t concerned in something illegal.” Hoang can be listed as a VABA director.
Andy Duong has greater than 100,000 followers on Instagram, which incorporates pictures with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Gavin Newsom.
Hoang additionally mentioned the Duong household has “handled a number of injustice over the previous three many years” and is assured no wrongdoing can be discovered.
“This is not the primary time we have needed to take care of stuff like this. Each time we have come out clear,” Hoang mentioned. “The officers know greater than anyone proper now what the investigation is about.”
CBS Information Bay Space reached out to Mayor Thao’s workplace for a response to the raids. Thao was a no-show Thursday morning at a scheduled press convention in San Francisco on inexpensive housing with the mayors of San Francisco, San Jose and Berkeley.
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The raids come two days after the Alameda County Registrar of Voters introduced there have been sufficient signatures on a petition to recall Thao from workplace to maneuver the method ahead.
Supporters of a recall blame the mayor for not doing sufficient to struggle crime which has led many companies to shut down within the metropolis. Additionally they blame Thao for the town’s failure to use for thousands and thousands of {dollars} in state cash to struggle retail crime.
Thao was additionally criticized for firing former police chief LeRonne Armstrong and never hiring a substitute for greater than a 12 months. On Thursday, Armstrong referred to as the FBI raids “a tragic day for the Metropolis of Oakland” in a ready assertion.
“Oakland is a metropolis in disaster. Crime, violence, shootings, uncontrolled homelessness, unmitigated encampments, the funds deficit and extra,” mentioned Armstrong. “The largest impediment to overcoming these crises are the failures of management in Metropolis Corridor. Even earlier than at the moment’s information, some metropolis leaders have accomplished nothing to help–and a lot to harm—our metropolis. Oakland wants management with a plan to handle public security, management who works with companies, and management that is ready to fulfill our challenges with a imaginative and prescient for the way forward for Oakland. On this second we should unite and work collectively to maneuver our nice metropolis ahead.”
KPIX correspondents Kevin Ko and Lauren Toms contributed to this report