"It's a fair question - the details grew only more complicated after a new court filing by one of Thao's three co-defendants. Nearly 10 months after Thao, her romantic partner Andre Jones, and father-and-son businessmen David and Andy Duong pleaded not guilty to bribery and conspiracy charges, there is still no trial date. The case has moved slowly since indictments were filed in January, with court hearings since then mainly limited to discussions about gathering evidence."
"After months of silence among the defendants in Oakland, a new development emerged over the past week, when David Duong filed a motion in court challenging the credibility of an apparent FBI informant whose testimony could play a crucial role in an eventual trial. The informant, a co-conspirator who is not identified in the indictments, is widely believed to be longtime East Bay political insider Mario Juarez, a former business partner of the Duongs."
Federal indictments allege bribery and conspiracy involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, her partner Andre Jones, and businessmen David and Andy Duong. All defendants pleaded not guilty and no trial date has been set nearly 10 months after the January indictments. Court activity has focused mainly on evidence gathering rather than trial scheduling. A parallel probe in San Leandro produced recent federal charges against a city councilmember tied to the same housing firm. David Duong filed a motion challenging the credibility of an apparent FBI informant believed to be political insider Mario Juarez, who has not been charged.
Read at The Mercury News
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