Former Oakland mayor, longtime partner indicted in alleged bribery scheme

OAKLAND (AP) — Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, her longtime partner and two local businessmen were named in an indictment unsealed Friday alleging the four conspired to funnel city business to companies owned by the men in exchange for money and benefits to Thao and her partner.

Thao, Andre Jones and business owners Andy and David Duong were indicted on charges of bribery, conspiracy and mail and wire fraud. Andy Duong also was charged with one count of lying to federal agents. All four made an initial appearance Friday.

Federal prosecutors allege Thao, who was elected Oakland's mayor in 2022, agreed that the city would purchase housing units from one of the Duongs' companies and renew the city's contract with a recycling company David Duong owned. In exchange, David Duong and his son, Andy, promised to fund a $75,000 mailer attacking Thao's political opponents and make $300,000 in payments for a no-show job for Jones, who is described in the indictment as Thao's longtime romantic partner who lived with Thao in Oakland.

“The alleged activities of the accused have led to a growing sense of distrust among taxpayers and elected officials,” Internal Revenue Service Special Agent Linda Nguyen said at a news conference Friday announcing the indictments. “As alleged, David and Andy Duong used bribes to further the profitability of their business interests and to obtain undo influence over the appointment of high-level Oakland city officials.”

David Duong was the president and CEO of a recycling company that provided residential recycling collection services to Oakland homes and also co-owned with Andy Duong a housing company formed in 2022 to manufacture prefabricated modular homes for unhoused people.

If convicted of all counts, each faces up to 35 years in prison. Andy Duong faces up to an additional five years if convicted of lying to agents.

Thao's attorney, Jeff Tsai, did not immediately respond to messages Friday seeking comment on the indictments. Court records do not list the names of attorneys for Jones or the Duongs. A telephone message left Friday with the San Francisco office of David Duong's recycling company, Cal Waste Solutions, also was not immediately returned.

Thao delivered a defiant statement in June after federal authorities raided her home, saying at the time that she did nothing wrong and that she had no plans to resign from office.

Voters in Oakland ousted Thao from office during a recall election in November just two years after she narrowly won office, becoming the first Hmong-American woman to become the mayor of a major U.S. city.

She faced criticism almost immediately after taking office for firing popular Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong. Frustrated voters, including the local NAACP, blamed Thao for a long list of city woes related to public safety, homelessness and the city’s budget, and she went into the recall election weakened by the FBI raid on her home.

Longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee is among those seeking to replace Thao as Oakland's next mayor.

Andre Jones, along with his partner Sheng Thao, the former mayor of Oakland were criminally indicted by a federal grand jury after an FBI corruption investigation, arrives at the United States District Court in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

First Assistant United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins, right, stands with federal officials as he speaks at a news conference announcing the indictment of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025 in San Francisco, Calif. (Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

First Assistant United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and federal officials hold a news conference announcing the indictment of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025 in San Francisco, Calif. (Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao stands in front of the United States District Court for a press conference following her arraignment of federal charges in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, as Tuan Ngo, founder of Asians Unite, protests at right. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao stands next to her lawyer Jeff Tsai outside the United States District Court after a hearing in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, as Tuan Ngo, founder of Asians Unite, protests at right. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao stands in front of the United States District Court for a press conference following her arraignment of federal charges in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

MUMBAI, India (AP) — Shreyas Iyer was provisionally named in India’s squad on Saturday for the home one-day international series against New Zealand starting Jan. 11.

India will host the Black Caps in a white-ball engagement — three ODIs and five T20s — in the build-up to the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Iyer returns to the international fold after sustaining a spleen injury during an ODI against Australia in Sydney last October.

His selection is subject to fitness clearance from BCCI’s medical team and he will return as India’s vice-captain for the three-match series.

Skipper Shubman Gill also returns, after he missed the ODI series against South Africa in December. He had a neck spasm in the test series earlier, and subsequently played in the T20s against the Proteas.

Ruturaj Gaikwad and Tilak Verma missed out. Gaikwad had scored a maiden ODI hundred against South Africa in Visakhapatnam.

Rishabh Pant is retained as second keeper-batter behind Lokesh Rahul, who had stood in as captain against the Proteas.

Star batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma had both participated in the domestic List A tournament — Vijay Hazare Trophy — and return to the international stage for the ODIs.

All-rounder Hardik Pandya is fit, but not sufficiently enough to bowl 10 overs in an ODI. Thus, he has been rested further ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup (in India and Sri Lanka) starting Feb. 7. Nitish Kumar Reddy is included in the squad.

Pacer Mohammed Siraj returns to lead the bowling lineup with Jasprit Bumrah rested again. Siraj had missed the South Africa series because of workload management.

The three ODIs will be played in Vadodara (Jan. 11), Rajkot (Jan. 14) and Indore (Jan. 18), with the five-match T20 series starting Jan. 21.

Squad: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

FILE - Captain of Punjab Kings Shreyas Iyer addresses a news conference on the eve of the final match of Indian Premier League at Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad, India, Monday, June 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki, File)