Judge in Oakland FBI corruption case says attempt to suppress evidence is a 'stretch'

"I would not stop preparing for trial if I were you," Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said during a court hearing on Thursday morning in Oakland. The four defendants, sitting in separate rows in the courtroom, did not react much to the judge's comments."

"According to prosecutors, Thao and Jones accepted tens of thousands of dollars from the Duongs in exchange for promising to extend the city's contract with their recycling company, California Waste Solutions. Thao also allegedly promised to help the Duongs secure a contract with the city to purchase modular houses from a different company they operated called Evolutionary Homes."

"The defendants are seeking what's known as a Franks hearing, where they would be allowed to question the FBI agent who authored the search warrant affidavit. They believe this would bolster their request to suppress some or all of the evidence obtained during the FBI raids, including records, items and data from their phones and computers."

Federal Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers stated it is unlikely she will grant a request to suppress evidence seized by FBI agents in June 2024 from the homes of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, her partner Andre Jones, and David Duong and his son Andy. All four defendants face federal indictment for participating in an extensive bribery scheme. Prosecutors allege Thao and Jones accepted tens of thousands of dollars from the Duongs in exchange for extending the city's contract with their recycling company, California Waste Solutions, and helping secure a modular housing contract. The defendants sought a Franks hearing to question the FBI agent who authored the search warrant affidavit, hoping to suppress evidence including records and digital data. The judge rejected their arguments that the search warrants were defective.

Read at The Oaklandside