the results of a raid that happened in oakland back in june by a federal grand jury sitting in oakland that charges four defendants, including the mayor. >> the four mayor of oakland shengtao with various bribery offenses, in addition to former mayor tao. the indictment charges andre jones, who is described in the indictment. as sheng tao's longtime romantic partner and two local businessmen, david trung duong and his son andy hung duong, who was also david wong's business associate. the indictment, returned by the grand jury, describes the corrupt scheme in which the defendants used bribes, mail fraud, wire fraud, and other illegal practices to manipulate and corruptly influence the levers of local government. before i describe the details of the indictment, i want to emphasize one thing. what i'm about to describe are just allegations. every defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence, is presumed innocent unless and until his or her guilt is established beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. the indictment charges a scheme that the defendants entered into knowing that bribes

oakland city officials. as stated in the indictment, former oakland mayor sheng thao and longtime companion andrew andre jones. except that those rights and sought to live up to those to end of the scheme. sent out. committed to extend contract. but then the second company and by housing units from business owned by the dunes. well, andrea jones received these payments. as often the case, the cues that the money trail from their deceptive acts of corruption, iris. the eyes uniquely qualified to investigate corruption of all types. because we are the experts that initial investigations. the citizens of oakland and the larger bay area deserve better. that demand the public officials to adhere to the highest standards of civil service and full transparency. the accused in this case. those short of those standards. opposed by saying we can't do this work alone. many of our investigations are in partnership with other law enforcement agencies. i wanted to take u.s. attorney's office, northern district. the fbi, t

any amount of money, like i love oakland. we deserve better. >> reporter: when she alerted the city council in early 2023 about pay-to-play allegations involving thao's boyfriend, andre jones, most city leaders ignored her. some thao supporters even called her crazy. >> most of i got silence. i sent out a bunch of emails, made a bunch of calls. it was silence. >> reporter: webb worked for thao in 2022 as chief of staff when thao was a council member. webb also volunteered on thao's mayoral campaign. she says when she found out about jones' pay-to-play schemes, she told thao about it. >> she just told me to ignore andre, make close to $200,000 and that we could set up our families for life. >> reporter: she says she resigned on new year's eve 2022, not long after thao won the mayoral race. she filed a complaint with the public ethics commission. at the time the commission was already investigating andy duong, reportedly using straw donors to give money to politicians, including thao, to buy influence. webb and federal prosecut

negatively headed out on our way to la. >> in oakland. cornell, bernard abc seven news. >> and of course you can help. just go to redcross.org, slash abc to help the red cross respond to those in need. it all makes a difference. >> well, let's talk about the weather here in the bay area. it was a little chilly today. >> it was downright cold. >> i thought this morning doesn't describe it. well, it was cold. let's just put it that way. >> it was. it was freezing. when the sun came out, it was a little bit better, but really, the thermometer has dropped. >> it has. it feels like winter all of a sudden. right. this morning. dan and corina, we had temperatures down to the low to mid 30s in our coldest spots. so yes, it was down to freezing in some locations. today's high temperatures in the mid 50s to low 60s. most areas were in the 50s. so we're finally where we should be for this time of year. as we take a look at some live pictures from our towercameras. one thing that helped to drive the temperatures down, that fog that you're seeing from

plus, former oakland city councilmember throwing his hat into the run for mayor of oakland, lauren taylor's campaign platform, head of a special election in april. >> and interview with barbara lee caring about her campaign platform. more about her plans for the ci bounced from one doctor to the next. did they even send my lab work...? wait, was i supposed to bring that? then there's the forms. the bills. the 'not a bills.' the.... ”press 4 to repeat these options.” [chaotic music] [inspirational music] healthcare can get a whole lot easier when your medical records, care and coverage are in one place. at kaiser permanente, all of us work together for all that is you. pete g. writes, "my tween wants a new phone. how do i not break the bank?" we got you, pete. xfinity mobile was designed to save you money and gives you access to wifi speeds up to a gig. so you get high speeds for low prices. better than getting low speeds for high prices. right, bruce? -jealous? yeah, look at that. -honestly. someone get a helmet on this guy. xfinity internet customers, ask how to get an unlimited line free

the longtime boyfriend of former oakland mayor xiang tao.ether, they heard the federal charges filed against them, charges of bribery, conspiracy and fraud. >> the indictment, returned by the grand jury, describes the corrupt scheme in which the defendants used bribes, mail fraud, wire fraud and other illegal practices to manipulate and corruptly influence the levers of local government. >> tao and jones are accused of accepting bribes from two members of the duong family. they own a waste company and a housing company in oakland. according to the indictment, tao made promises in exchange for money. >> her agreement to purchase housing units from a company owned by the duong family. her agreement to ensure the extension of a contract for recycling services that the city of oakland had with one of david and andy duong's companies. and her agreement to use influence to help appoint a high level city official to benefit the duong's business interests. >> the investigation shows this accused agreement began in october 2022, right before the mayo

abc seven news reporter louis pena spoke to multiple oakland leaders who say it's time for oakland to have a fresh start. >> walking out of the federal courthouse, former oakland mayor sheng tao maintained her innocence as she faces an eight count indictment that includes bribery offenses along with her longtime boyfriend and two local businessmen. this just two months after she was recalled. >> we all knew that she was pretty corrupt and dishonest at. in addition to being incompetent, the indictments on bribery charges sent shockwaves across the city, with some of tao's former colleagues responding shocked and disappointed. >> this is sadly not the first time that the city of oakland has experienced what's considered pay to play politics and allegations of corruption are always, always a blow to the public's trust in city hall, a space new congresswoman lateefah simon was just landing from washington, d.c. when we caught up with her. >> it's devastating. but at the end of the day, as an elected leader myself, i'm going to respect due process and the rule of law. what this means for o

political fallout for the former oakland mayor. as the department of justice lays out evidence in what they call a corrupt scheme. >> the defendants used bribes, mail fraud, wire fraud and other illegal practices to manipulate and corruptly influence the levers of local government. >> shengtao has pleaded not guilty as she faces up to 95 years in prison. good evening. i'm greg lee and i'm cristina rendon. >> today's indictment comes more than six months after tao's home was raided by the fbi. tonight, she is facing multiple federal charges, including conspiracy to commit bribery, as well as wire and mail fraud. xiang tao's longtime boyfriend and two oakland businessmen were also charged today. >> according to the federal indictment, the illegal dealings first began in october 2022. officials allege tao made promises that would benefit the huang family if she was elected. duong family owns cal waste solutions, a recycling company based in oakland. in november of that year, tao won the oakland mayoral race, and in january of 2023, sh

two oakland business owners. >> good evening. i'm ryan yamamoto. >>> we there were this morning when thao surrendered to authorities at the federal courthouse in oakland with her attorney at her side. this is all connected to the june raid of thao's home which she shares with her partner, andre jones. jones is also named in that indictment and our camera was there as he arrived at court this morning. also facing charges, andy and david duong, the father/son duo prominent in the oakland business community. all four defendants entered not guilty pleas in court today. our wilson walker joins us live outside the federal courthouse in san francisco where officials laid out the allegations for the very first time. wilson. >> reporter: a busy day today. all of those charged over in oakland and today here in san francisco we finally, seven months after those raids, we heard what prosecutors were looking for. >> we are not just up here as traditional politicians. >> the indictment alleges the conspiracy began around october 2022 before th

fbi agents raided the oakland home of then mayor thao and andre jones, her boyfriend. they could be seen carrying out boxes of evidence to their cars. this came two days after alameda county registrar of voters announced there were enough signatures on a petition to recall thao from office and to move forward with that process. the fbi also raided properties connected to the duong family and their recycling company, california waste solutions. the duongs hold a lucrative recycling contract with the city of oakland and have a pretty interesting backstory. the family escaped from vietnam, eventually opened the first recycling warehouse in west oakland. california waste solutions is now worth hundreds of millions of dollars and employs hundreds of people. over the years andy duong has become a regular face in local and state and national politics. he helped organize a trip to vietnam in 2023 that included local delegates, including then mayor sheng thao. he is now charged with making false statements to government agents. his lawyers released a statement saying in part, "

oakland as well. he turned in his paperwork this morning. taylor lost the 2022 race to sheng thao by just under 700 votes. he says he knows the situation is dire in the city because of the budget deficit, but he's ready to face it head-on if he's elected. >> oakland's back is against the wall as it fights for its survival. what we know is when our backs are against the wall, we realize we are. and what's really worth fighting >> the special election for oakland mayor is set for april. >> reaction is pouring in from city leaders tonight after san francisco unified school district elected a new board president. so kim has served on the board of education since last august. he was unanimously chosen for the position earlier this week. he has worked as a public school teacher and in education leadership roles for more than a decade. the board also unanimously chose commissioner jamie cooling to serve as vice president mayor daniel lurie publicly congratulating kim and cooling tonight writing, quote, last

in oakland.es. >> in oakland, we got to we got to get this thread i know i need scissors. >> oh, we need scissors. that's okay i don't know. yeah. >> do we have it's almost newsroom i know in my white box scissors that they took are there are there stories of young people who've come through this program that sort of that stand out to you folks who. >> yeah, definitely. >> it's really sort of made a difference in their lives. >> yeah, definitely. i think that i've had a lot of families and parents, youth that have showed up and came to my events and really at the core, i wanted to do this because i wanted to promote community healing as a whole. like i said, like i come from a social work background and i've seen the impact of trauma as a whole. so i think for me, i know what safe spaces can do. i know what creativity can do and how that can heal us. and when we come together and learn together what that can do. >> and i bet some of these kids, they come from tough backgrounds, they're probably l

i love oakland. we deserve better. >> reporter: when she alerted city council in early 2023 about paid to play involving most city leaders. >> i september out a bunch of e-mails. i made a bunch of calls. it was silence. >> reporter: webb worked for thao in 2022 as the chief of staff when thao was a council member. webb also volunteered on thao's mayoral campaign. she says when she found out about jones' pay-to-play schemes, she told thao about it. >> she told me to ignore andre. make close to $200,000, and that we could set up our families for life. >> reporter: she resigned on new year's eve, 2022. she filed a complaint with the public ethics commission. at the time, they were investigating andy duong using straw donors to give money to politicians, including thao, to buy influence. webb and federal pros cue those who lost to thao in the mayoral race by less than 700 votes. >> when we talk about a 677-vote margin, those flyers that were funded through this scheme clearly had a direct impact on the o

fighting tactics in the city of oakland. we'll tell you about the ideas presented by the police to city leaders that may change the police pursuit policy. and some relief is headed to southern california as hundreds of very weary firefighters keep battling several wildfires. we'll take you to malibu and roberto gonzalez as that race intensifies to prepare for rain. that's on the way. >> from ktvu, fox two news. this is mornings on two. >> thank you for joining us. welcome back to mornings on two. i'm dave clark. >> i'm gasia mikaelian. it is a busy friday, january 24th. we have some changes here in our weather in the bay area. we're also watching weather changes down south. steve. >> well, there's a couple of the morning run models. one of them has 1 to 2in of rain down in the hills. the other one is about a half inch to an inch. but when you haven't had any rain, that will cause probably some concerns. usually one of the dryer models has about two inches in some of the higher elevations in southern california, between satur

the city of oakland is facing a pretty large budget issue. a 130 million dollar problem. and back in december, we know city council, they approve those budget cuts impacting the public safety. >> so what you see as the solution to fixing the financial problems facing the city of oakland is not one quite frankly. and i'm very pleased that the county is unanimously passed the colosseum, at least a framework to move forward with the coliseum deal. >> which was tied to the city budget but also sales tax revenue and increasing. our revenue is extremely important. that's not the only a measure addressing the budget. we have to look at private investment and oftentimes there's resources that we don't even know about. so i want to make sure we have a good audit that we know where current resources are and we know how to move forward to increase revenue and to increase invest. as you know, the city of oakland has a severe issue when it comes to under staffing with the police department. there is that crime issue. so how would you navigate all of that? i want to work with the polic

now to oakland, where we are learning the oakland city official who was referenced in the federal indictmentinked to an fbi investigation, resigned friday as fallout continues related to a grand jury indictment that was unsealed friday. abc seven news reporter anser hassan has more. >> if these allegations are true, it truly shocks the conscience. the idea that mayor tao was selling out oakland even before she won the election. it it it speaks of an arrogance and malicious intent that i think few people can wrap their heads around. >> justin burton worked five years in oakland city hall. he was director of communications for mayor libby schaff, the predecessor to recalled mayor shengtao. on friday, tao pled not guilty to six counts related to bribery, conspiracy and mail and wire fraud. tao's lawyer spoke after friday's hearing, calling the government's case weak. >> the case is built on allegations from an unknown coconspirator that we believe when the evidence is revealed, will show that my client has committed no crimes. >> one of the allegations unsealed friday is that, quote, once in of

a classic pay to play scam involving the former oakland mayor. the scathing indictment paints a secret relationship running in the shadows of oakland city. government agents say money was given to towel by the owners of the local recycling company. david in andy do want to win the election in return towel agreed to take official actions to benefit the, including purchase a housing units in extending the contract for the dorms. recycling company. there was also talk of appointing a senior city official on friday. jones's attorney declined to talk with the media in a statement to kron 4 news and he'd want attorney said, quote, the allegations are baseless and being fanned by nothing more than gossip and supposition stitched together by the fabrications and delusions of those who lack al fundamental credibility. we look forward to clearing his good name before the court and a jury of his peers and david, you want attorney had this to say, quote, mr. de long denies wrongdoing and will vigorously defend these allegations in court. he looks forward to

in june, the fbi raided tao's home in oakland's lincoln highlands neighborhood. agents were moving boxes of materials, including laptops. that same day, agents also raided several properties tied to the politically connected huang family, who owned california waste solutions, the company that manages oakland's recycling program. the warrants and paperwork have remained sealed, and tao has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. for more insight about the indictment, we did speak to our legal analyst, michael cardoza. >> keep in mind, the burden of proof of the grand jury is probable cause, not proof beyond a reasonable doubt. and there is a world of difference between establishing probable cause and then the government having to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. so don't think just because this grand jury indicted that she is, in fact, guilty. that's yet to be proved. >> cardoza also points out that defense attorneys are not allowed in grand jury proceedings, which are held in secret. well, along with the press conference tomorrow morning, 9:00, by the way, it also is t

oakland hills that's west southwest. even middle peak has a west south not i mean, it's not really a wind, but it's a slight onshore breeze. there is a frost advisory, but when you get fog you get higher dew points. it's usually a little tougher to get some frost. but you know, santa rosa is 32. after that there's a lot of mid 30s upper 30s and closer to the coast it's upper 30s around the bay and 40s on the temps here, although fairfax down to 31, novato 33. sonoma is in there. windsor of course, but 40s. bodega bay, point reyes, bolinas, sausalito, tiburon, richmond, all in the 40s there. 21 carson city. 19 truckee and south lake tahoe. drop at one for minden there. the low has made its move inland. i'll fix that when i get a second. and then the high is still there, though, just that fast. to the high. it's a dry pattern. cold with fog, hazy cooler though. afternoon on the temps with. so with friday on my mind. lingering coast fog hazy but cooler temps coming down. that means 50s now and low 60s. >> thank you steve. t

he's been vocal about ways to make oakland safer. this morning, he spoke to supporters before filing his official paperwork at oakland city hall. >> my resolve is even stronger to make sure that we deliver the potential and the promise of this amazing city, and i have been buoyed by the amazing support, energy and love of not just the folks standing with me, but so many more right here who share the same vision of our city, realizing its full potential. >> longtime congressmember barbara lee is also running for oakland mayor, and several other people had expressed intentions to run for mayor, but it's unclear how many will follow through now that lee is in the race. taylor lost to shengtao in 2022, falling less than 1% short in the ranked choice voting count. >> now, even with lauren taylor's entrance into the race, many politicos speculate longtime congresswoman barbara lee will be a shoo in for oakland's next mayor. >> abc seven news reporter monica madden dove into that history today. and monica, this wouldn't be the first time oa

if we close for more fire houses that will be the end of the oakland fire department as we know oakland councilmember zac unger is a former firefighter of 27 years. >> and he says he knows the danger reduced services can have first hand. we are actively engaged with the finance team with the city manager with the mayor's office to look for ways to do it. and we're not we're not there yet, but we are working nonstop fire. chief dave in covington says the deadly wildfires in southern california serve as a warning sign that without resources, the same could happen in the bay area and the change the year round. >> vegetation management, all of those things make it harder for fire departments to do what they need to do. but it's here to stay. >> oakland interim mayor jake and says they've already identify 2.5 million dollars and they're working on finding another 6 million to fill the gap. they're also having discussions with other city departments and agencies to see where they can make more cuts, including if possibly necessary cutting some of the city departments. we'll, of course keep yo

four more firehouses in oakland. well, two years after a massive flood devastated the town of pajaro in monterey county, tonight, more financial help has arrived just in time. it was march of 2023, when a levee holding back the pajaro river burst, sending flood waters throughout that community. the u.s. department of agriculture gave monterey county $4 million today to help rebuild the community sewage system, which was badly damaged in the floods. 88% of pajaro residents primarily speak spanish. some residents say just assessing all the various government programs has been part of the problem. >> the she's saying that she's in debt, still had great losses and hasn't gotten no help, and the business was really slow because of the flood. >> a team of engineers is rebuilding and reinforcing all the levees around pajaro and relief centers help residents get help in the months right after the floods, but some there are still feeling a bit neglected. >> this isn't really just about just fixing pipes. it's also it's an iss

it's because those in power are not centering oaklanders in the decisions they make. >> oakland oaks, the recall effort, an apology, or a thank you depending on which way you voted. because now we know that we have saved oakland a great deal of time, energy and heartache. imagine this happened today and she was still our mayor. >> ktvu legal analyst michael cardoza says tao's attorney says she and the other defendants will all likely be looking to cut deals in their own best interest. for our previous coverage of the criminal case surrounding former mayor tao, as well as a closer look at her coconspirators the duong family. head on over to ktvu.com or the fox local app. the all new app is a free download for your phone and your smart tv. >> vallejo police are investigating the city's first homicide of the year. officers responded to a call yesterday afternoon on third and lemon streets. police say they found one man who had been stabbed. he was taken to the hospital where he later died. his identity is not being shared until his family is notified. police have not yet identified a sus

oakland, fire officials say they can't be taking chances. keeping the to fire stations closed. >> but europe to fire station sparked a wave of criticism and worry from the community. hundreds of people attended thursday night's virtual town hall, hoping for officials to find a solution. i don't think my family are any other family should be the sacrifice for budget. truly truly believe that our safety. >> in our well being it's important. it's just early wednesday morning, a home in oakland hills went up in flames. >> because the nearest fire station is currently closed. neighbors had to wait nearly 11 minutes instead of the usual 4 for firefighters to show up the ripple effect in the domino effect just continues throughout our entire department. so you're not just affecting one district here fact in the host city on the firehouse or close, the oakland city council voted to temporarily close station. 25 in waukee miller park. >> and station. 28 then chabot park neighborhood to act as a cost-saving measure to fill 129 million dollar budget de

taos home was actually rated in oakland 7 months ago. the fbi came into her place and we were there when it all went down a couple of days later, she held a defiant news conference and i was there as well. and before it even started, her staff said she would not be taking any questions. she came out swinging saying that she did nothing wrong, that he was a witch hunt, but no one truly knows what's going on. we actually have been reaching out to the fbi for months and they have not talked about it. but we will find out in about 3 hours from now. she's alleged to have a pay to play scheme involving possible kickbacks while she was oakland mayor. now we got a chance to talk to a legal expert. here's their reaction to what's going to happen. >> we will lessen your% punishment if you give us information about people that are above you that people are more culpable that will be up to her and her attorneys, whether she will in the vernacular snitch on other people. >> we will find out all at the same time in by 3 hours from now. and we will car

former oakland mayor chantelle walked out of that courthouse in oakland today after being arraigned on federal corruption and bribery charges.l there are eight counts in the indictment. four people are charged, including tao, her longtime romantic partner andre jones, and businessmen david and andy duong. >> they face up to 95 years in prison, andy duong facing up to 100 years. abc seven news reporter anser hassan has our details as often the case. >> the accused left a money trail from their deceptive acts of corruption. >> special agent linda nguyen with the irs oakland field office, says the money trail led to a federal indictment that exposed a pay to play scheme where allegedly former oakland mayor xiang tao and her romantic partner andre jones traded political promises for campaign financing and cash. >> the indictment charges a scheme that the defendants entered into knowing that bribes would be offered and accepted by tao and jones in exchange for allowing the dugongs to exercise illegal influence over the levers of city government. >> the eight count indictment was unsealed fr

former oakland mayor sheng thao is reportedly facing federal charges.

charter school in oakland. they are upset about the closure. there's another rally today. the only public montessori school in the city. it offers a unique, free educational opportunity for kids from all backgrounds and the families are concerned. they're urging alameda county's office of education to reconsider the plans to have a new vote on the school's renewal at their upcoming meeting. january 28th. they are pushing for the school to stay open. >> if we close for more fire houses, that will be the end of the oakland fire department as we know it. >> the temporary closure of 2 fire stations in the oakland hills continuing to fuel concerns among firefighters and residents. hundreds of people attended thursday night's virtual town hall, hoping to push officials to find a solution. the city is closing for more fire stations this year in an effort to close 129 million dollar budget gap. the fire chief david covington says the deadly wildfires we're seeing in southern california right now are warning that withou

it's a sad day for oakland. this is not going to inspire confidence in the other in the business community to want to do business in oakland. in oakland. velena jones, nbc, bay area news. now, let's give you a timeline of how the investigation unfolded. it's a little bit complicated. we'll try to keep it straight. back in june, former oakland mayor sheng thao home was searched by the fbi, irs, and the u.s. postal inspection service. three other locations owned by the duong family also raided as part of the fbi's investigation. one of those locations was cal waste. tao said at the time she was innocent of any crime and has consistently, as she there, denied any wrongdoing. since then, the former oakland mayor was recalled by voters in the november election. tao departed her mayoral seat in december, and just yesterday, she and her boyfriend were indicted. now in a new development in this case, the oakland city administrator says that the person in that indictment is identified as employee number one resigned toda

that has happened even in oakland before. but but here we are. the indictment is in and the gears will turn further. now we will be hearing, of course, more from everyone in oakland later. and coming up tonight at five six, we will have more of what is in that indictment, more of those text messages, excuse me messages, more of the specifics surrounding this case. but again, brian, it tracks largely with what we have been hearing. >>>>okay. wilson walker breaking it down for us live in san francisco. well, not long after the fbi raid at tao's home, i did have a chance to speak with her live on our newscast, asking her about this very investigation. >>>>i am not the subject of the investigation, and i have done nothing wrong, and i expect that there will be an opportunity for us to say more. but, you know, not at this time. i am also fully cooperating with the investigation, and i look forward to the opportunity to vindicate. >>>>so let's break this down. xiang tao was elected mayor of oakland in november of 2022, becoming the first hmong american

of oakland. that has been unfair and has been misguided. and what we hope today is to not pass the buck is to not make excuses. that was the chair of the oakland police commission last week, responding to governor newsom's criticism of opd's no pursuit policy. again, the commission votes tonight on the new, tougher on crime pursuit policy that, if approved,ould then be passed on to oakland's chief of police as a recommendation. the chief has already indicated he wants to expand the language surrounding the department's pursuit policy. bob redell nbc, bay area news. thank you. bob. new at 11. the cease fire deal between israel and hamas is entering its fifth day, and now activists in the east bay are demanding the united states stop arming israel. demonstrators are protesting outside travis air force base in fairfield. the base supplies weapons to israel, and the activists are demanding the base stop all shipments. well, we're hoping to win the hearts and minds of everybody that sees us and to say

has to get through it. >> i love oakland. i'm a transplant. you know, this is our town, and i feel that we are resilient, and i know that we will come back. >> suzanne phan abc seven news. >> this case has been months in the making, and abc seven news has been there for each development. check out a timeline of the major moments. catch up on some of the forgotten details and see what's next. it's all on abc seven news.com and our abc seven bay area app. well, developing news out of monterey county tonight. and that fire at a battery storage plant. all the evacuation orders were lifted tonight after it was determined it was no longer a threat to the public's health. abc seven news reporter lauren martinez spoke with one woman who had to evacuate. >> a relief for people who live around the plant. residents with an id are allowed to return home through highway one here, but it's still closed off to everyone else. earlier today, we heard from a representative from the battery plant that caught fire. people want answers as to what

imagine if she was still the mayor of oakland. at least now she's no longer the mayor of oakland. we're already well underway in picking a new leader. last july, the city of oakland was ordered to hand over records tied to the city contracts with california waste solutions, along with a group called evolutionary homes and documents tied to o's partner, andre jones. that subpoena also demanded records tied to the 2022 mayoral election. tonight, the u.s. attorney's office and federal officials announced they will hold a press conference tomorrow morning to detail what they're calling a significant law enforcement action tonight. many believe that's when we'll hear more about both tao and her partner's indictments. now we've reached out to the city as well as mayor thao and her last known representation in andre jones, and have not heard back yet. reporting live in the east bay velena jones nbc bay area news. lena. thank you. there is more to all of this. the reports of the former mayor's indictment come on the same day we're learning about another fbi raid involving another public o

now to the federal indictment of former oakland mayor shengtao. tonight, tao, as well as her longtime boyfriend and two oakland businessmen, are facing several charges, including conspiracy to commit bribery, wire and mail fraud. as ktvu jana katsuyama shows us, this comes more than six months after tao's home was raided by the fbi. and tonight, she has pleaded not guilty. >> a stunning announcement at san francisco's federal building friday. the u.s. attorney's office unsealed the eight count indictment accusing former oakland mayor xiang tao and her partner andre jones, along with two oakland businessmen, david wong and his son andy wong, of bribery, conspiracy, mail fraud and wire fraud. the 22 page indictment alleges the scheme started in 2022, just before tao was elected mayor of oakland in november. >> weeks before that election, tao made commitments to take official actions as mayor that would benefit the. >> wong's questions had lingered as tao's home was raided by the fbi prior to her 2024 recall. the indictment repeatedly refers to an un

it has a contract with the city of oakland. abc seven news insider phil matier connected some of those dots for us. >> if you look at what the fbi has been subpoenaing from different vantage points and from what they tk from the city, it appears thattk they are interested in a deal by the duong family and another man by the name of mario juarez, who may or may not be part of this investigation, who proposed to the city the idea of building a village of some 600 or 300 tiny homes, you know, tiny homes where you could house the homeless. and they were going to build them on the oakland old army base. and it was a $90 million deal. >> tao repeatedly has denied any wrongdoing and says she has not was not the target of the investigation. >> voters recalled shengtao from office in november and now the candidate who narrowly lost to her when she was elected is back in the race today. former oakland city council member lauren taylor announced plans to run for mayor. he spoke one on one with abc seven news reporter anser hassan after he

criminals know to come to oakland to commit crime because there is very little consequence. >> the oaklanddepartment says it's in the process of finalizing a new policy. we do expect it will be presented next week at the oakland police commission's next meeting. one of the faces of san francisco's response to the covid pandemic is stepping down. public health director doctor grant colfax announced his resignation today in a press release. a reason for his departure was not given. colfax became director just before the pandemic began. health officials say under his leadership, san francisco had some of the lowest death rates in the country for a major city. deputy director of health doctor naveena bobba will become the acting director on february 7th. >> he came to me and said, do you want to help me in the fundraiser for his fundraiser? i said, yeah, i would love to. >> next at five, inspired by the devastating wildfires in southern california. how some bay area students are stepping up to support the victims. also ahead, an admission from the ceo of walgreens how the company's strategy to

the family of a security guard in oakland is in mourning. tonight, the guard at highland hospital was shot and killed. ktvu crime reporter henry lee joins us live with a look at what they're learning about this case. henry. well, curtis. >> heinz job as a guard at highland hospital was to keep the peace as doctors work to save the lives of gunshot victims. now his family is heartbroken after he became a gunshot victim himself. >> he was trying to stop a violence and end up getting, you know, losing his life to violence. >> the family of 28 year old curtis heinz is in mourning after he was shot and killed in east oakland over the weekend. heinz worked as a security guard at highland hospital in oakland, helping to keep the peace. this is the trauma center where oakland's gunshot victims come in for treatment and where tensions can be high. his loved ones had no idea he would end up as a gunshot victim himself. >> if he was in the middle of any type of confrontation. he wanted the best for everyone. >> a relative of his who did not want her na

in oakland, velena jones, nbc, bay area news. so what exactly are tao jones and the duong's accused of? investigative reporter candice nguyen joins us now to break down the alleged bribery scheme laid out by prosecutors today. and, candice, we know they're prominent businessmen, but who are these dongs? yeah, they are a father son duo working with a waste company that you've probably seen in oakland and in the south bay. they, tao and jes, are denying these allegations, as prosecutors allege a bribery scheme that helped tao become mayor and pay some of her and her partner's personal bills. this federal indictment charges former oakland mayor sheng thao of a corrupt relationship with her partner, andre jones, and two additional defendants, david and andy duong. david duong is the president ceo of kao waste solutions. he's also co-owner of a housing company. his son, andy also works at cal waste and co-owns the same housing company. leading up to oakland's 2022 mayoral election. federal prosecutors say sheng thao promised if she wa

has to get through it. >> i love oakland. i'm a transplant. you know, this is our town, and i feel that we are resilient, and i know that we will come back. >> suzanne phan abc seven news. >> this case has been months in the making, and abc seven news has been there for each development. check out a timeline of the major moments. catch up on some of the forgotten details and see what's next. it's all on abc seven news.com and our abc seven bay area app. well, developing news out of monterey county tonight. and that fire at a battery storage plant. all the evacuation orders were lifted tonight after it was determined it was no longer a threat to the public's health. abc seven news reporter lauren martinez spoke with one woman who had to evacuate. >> a relief for people who live around the plant. residents with an id are allowed to return home through highway one here, but it's still closed off to everyone else. earlier today, we heard from a representative from the battery plant that caught fire. people want answers as to what

news at 3 former oakland mayor sheng thao facing federal bribery charges. we have live team coverage on her indictment. is it free? the games? breaking news, thanks so much for joining us here on kron. 4 news at 3 on stephanie lin today. the fbi announced former oakland mayor sheng thao, her partner andrea jones and 2 men. >> with the city's recycling contractor face federal corruption and bribery charges. if convicted, the suspects could spend up to 35 years in prison. tao was recalled by voters in november. she blamed the fallout on billionaires bent on removing her from power and a high level right wing conspiracy. she says for charles clifford was at today's announcement. he has the latest information on this case. well, this week a grand jury issued this indictment against 4 people, including former oakland mayor sheng thao. >> on friday, the department of justice unveiled an 8 count indictment charging former oakland mayor sheng thao, her partner, andre jones and businessman david and indeed wong with bribery offenses. the u.s. attorney's office says

it is 48 right now, 45 in oakland.still pretty cool out there with dictating where we sit this morning. you can see the clouds here from the golden gate bridge. we'll have a sunny day here. more sun sooner for the north bay. 44 in santa rosa. it's 42 in napa, and we've definitely had some dense fog in our inland valleys right now. current check. well, things are getting better, except up in napa, where we have a half mile visibility and around the bay, 6 to 7 miles. livermore is increasing visibility. so that's some good news. dark clouds there. the low cloud deck from sfo. so we have the areas of fog this morning, the holiday weekend. fog to sun today. tomorrow temperatures near average for the holiday. martin luther king jr. on monday we get into gusty offshore winds. we could see an advisory. winds could gust as high as 50 miles an hour. the north bay interior valleys, the mountains there and also into around us. mount diablo, the diablo range with those offshore winds getting going into the santa cruz mountains as

to work for the best interest of the people of oakland. this public trust is broken. one elected officials agreed to a pay to play system to benefit themselves. >> if convicted on all counts, how could face decades in prison supervised release for more than a million dollars in fines. and that indictment came from a federal grand jury in oakland. yeah, our kron four's dan kerman. he's been reviewing what it says and joins us live in the studio with more. a lot to go over, dan. absolutely. you know, this is the 22 page indictment. you know, tao has all along maintained that she was told she was not the target >> of this investigation. and while that might have been true initially, looking at these documents, it is clear she certainly is the target. federal prosecutors allege former oakland mayor sheng thao agreed to a pay for play scheme. we're by members of family. the owners of callaway solutions would pay tao and her boyfriend and rate jones money in return for influence and benefits to their business. examples of promises allegedly made by towns include. >> her agr

the city manager and budget director are gambling with oaklanders' lives. that is a very clear and truthful message, full stop. >> oakland firefighters union local 55 says before the cuts 90% of fires were handled within four minutes and now they're warning future closures could worsen response times. >>> former house speaker nancy pelosi is not going to attend president-elect trump's inauguration on monday. that is according to her spokesperson. so far no official reason has been given. in december pelosi injured her hip while overseas and needed surgery. she was seen using a walker at capitol hill earlier this month. >>> monday, of course, is inauguration day and also mlk day. 250,000 ticketed guests will pack the central mall in d.c. to witness trump's second inauguration, but the daughter of martin luther king jr. hopes the focus will remain on her father's legacy. she wants people to remember the lessons that the civil rights icon taught the nation. >> i know we're inaugurating the new administration, but don't forget dr. king. don't forget that they s

. >> and former oakland mayor sheng thao has been indicted on federal bribery charges. kron. 4 news at 4 starts now. good afternoon. thanks for being with us today for kron. 4 news at 4. i'm grant lotus. >> and i'm vicki liviakis. today the fbi announced that former oakland mayor sheng thao, her partner and 2 leaders of the cities recycling contractor face federal corruption and bribery charges. now, if convicted, the suspects could spend decades in prison. kron 4 charles clifford was at this morning's announcement and has the details. >> well, this week a grand jury issued this indictment against 4 people, including former oakland mayor sheng thao. on friday, the department of justice unveiled an 8 count indictment charging former oakland mayor sheng thao, her partner, andre jones and businessman david and indeed wong with bribery offenses. the u.s. attorney's office says the 4 were engaged in a scheme to benefit the businesses and promote house political career. how herself is facing 6 counts of conspiracy, bribery, mail, fraud and wire fraud. >> the indictment charge

last week she announced she is running for oakland.t down one-on-one with lee to discuss her campaign and her plans for the city, including how she plans to address oakland's budget crisis and crime issues. >> that's the first thing you plan to do if you are elected into office. >> the first thing a plan to do is bring people together and say let me listen to you. let me here what you think your priorities are. of course, no. i'm going to have to look immediately looking at how we restored the virus stations given the fire threats. and i think oakland is really more prepared than most communities because i was in the legislature did in the 1991 fire. and i knew what took place the trauma of the terrible devastation. so i want to make sure public safety, which includes fire safety, is addressed immediately. the city of oakland is facing a pretty large budget issue. a 130 million dollar problem. and back in december, we know city council, they approve those budget cuts impacting the public safety. >> so what you see as the solution to fi

for recycling services the city of oakland had with one of david and andy's companies. and her agreement to use influence to appoint a high level city official to benefit the duongs business interest. >> reporter: in return, prosecutors say the duongs went to work for then mayoral candidate sheng thao. >> the financing of a negative mailer campaign. >> reporter: those mailers targeting two of her opponents were requested by this man, mario juarez who was cofounder of a housing company with andy duong and while he is not named in the indictment, our reporting and court documents show that he would be coconspirator one. according to the indictment, following thao's election, coconspirator 1 texted andy to say we may go to jail but we are $100 million richer. to which andy said money buys everything. prosecutors say checks started getting mailed to andre jones. some as large as $35,000. >> providing them as payments disguised as wages for a no show job for jones with the promise of additional payments all intended to benefit both thao and jones. >> reporter: today's indict

of oakland. that has been unfair and has been misguided. and what we hope today is to not pass the buck is to not make excuses. activity. that was the chair of the oakland police commission last week, responding to governor newsom's criticisms of opd's no pursuit policy, the commission again votes tonight on the new, tougher on crime pursuit policy that, if approved, would then be passed on to the oakland chief of police as a recommendation. the chief has already indicated he wants to expand the language surrounding the department's no pursuit policy. reporting live, bob redell today in the bay. thank you bob. 540 right now, a bay area serial killer with no sign of remorse as jurors sentenced him to two decades in cold cases. prosecutors say david misch yesterday sang 99 bottles of beer on the wall as victims family members recounted their years of heartache and loss. it came as he received two new sentences of 50 years to life for the murders of two fremont best friends, jennifer dewey and miche

a special election for the oakland mayor's race is expected in april. >>> the fbi has arrested a san francisco man with ties to a salami empire over his alleged role in the riot january 6th at the capitol. the fbi provided these photos that they say show molinari giorgi at the capitol. they highlighted the man in a black hooded sweatshirt and red hat. he's accused of grabbing an officer's head and neck pulling him to the ground, allegedly threw himself into a group of police hitting one of them in the head. he's charged with felony assault among other offenses. >>> still ahead, could changing underused and empty offices in san jose help revitalize downtown? the tower makeover that is in the works. >> we're so used to having nobody in the building, i forgot what it's like. >> when you look at the glut of the office markets, can't let assets like this just be vacant for years. (♪♪) a single touch can say a thousand words. it says... i see you. i feel you. i got you. and i'm never letting go. (♪♪) ever. (♪♪) say it all with irresistibly touchable skin. get in touch. gold bond. pete g. w

former oakland city councilmen loren taylor filed the papers to run this morning.health struggles, but says he is 100% ready to serve. >> so my resolve is even stronger to make sure that we deliver the potential and the promise of this amazing city. >> taylor ran for mayor back in 2022 and lost to now recalled sheng thao. this time he will face off against former congresswoman barbara lee. a special election for the oakland mayor's race is expected to happen in april. >>> after celebrations of a ceasefire deal between israel and gaza had been reached, the deal facing a last minute setback, why there's now doubt it may ever happen. >> we were very hopeful, but we have this concern that something will go wrong along the way and not all hostages will be released. >>> california's attorney general cracking down on criminals taking advantage of the disastrous southern california wildfires, his message today. >>> and apple is pulling the plug on its latest artificial intelligence feature for now, the backlash over a.i. news. >>> hey, johnny mosley here. the toyota is loa