Alameda County

Local Attorney Walter Riley: Avoid Leap to Judgement in Federal Case Against Former Mayor Sheng Thao

“I’m always leery … when we see something like this kind of institution going after a (progressive) person such as Sheng Thao,” said Riley. “The (FBI) raid itself violated protocol, influenced the recall election, and should not have been done in the way it was done. That is a violation of protocol of FBI tactics.”

Published

1 year ago

February 2, 2025

Oakland Post

Walter Riley, a local civil rights attorney and community leader, spoke on the ex-mayor’s case on KPFA radio on Jan. 22. Courtesy photo.

By Ken Epstein

Mainstream media and others are acting as if the conviction of former Mayor Sheng Thao and her partner, Andre Jones, on charges of bribery and conspiracy is a done deal after a federal grand jury brought charges against them on Jan. 17.

The charges came in the wake of an FBI raid on the former mayor’s house last June in the midst of a highly publicized political campaign that led to her recall by voters in November.

Walter Riley, a local civil rights attorney and community leader, is urging the public to reserve judgement and to understand the grand jury process where the defense is not deeply involved and can offer no evidence or rebuttal.

Thao, Jones, and two members of the Duong family who own California Waste Solutions face charges for conspiracy, bribery, and more associated with an alleged “pay-to-play” scheme.

The indictment “is saying that Sheng Thao and Andre Jones participated in a bribery scheme with David Duong and other members of the Duong family to influence the selection of the Duong family to get business from the City of Oakland,” Riley said in offering his observations Jan. 22 on “Education Today,” a KPFA radio program.

A long-time activist, community leader, and attorney in the Oakland area, Riley said he has formerly represented Jones but does not at present. His comments and observations, he said, are based on reading public legal documents and following the media coverage.

In this case, Riley said, there are “conspirators claiming that they have engaged with the mayor, (but) I don’t see from this indictment the kind of substantiation that I would expect in a complaint that I would be dealing with as a defense attorney.”

“Knowing what a grand jury is helps us to understand what (an indictment) is,” Riley said. “The grand jury does not hear evidence from the defense, does not hear any evidence supporting the targeted person or persons…The grand jury is not a place where there is any chance of [a defendant’s] advocacy.”

Continuing, Riley said: “Grand juries take evidence and statements presented by the prosecution. In this case, they are federal attorneys, U.S. attorneys presenting evidence to the grand jury.

“Historically, what grand juries do is hear what the prosecutor has to say, and if the prosecutor says this is enough evidence, … typically the grand jury will say ‘yes, we agree with you’ to the prosecution.’”

Further, Riley said, “It’s not like a Superior Court judge weighing the evidence and where the defense has an opportunity to present its case, and a judge can make a determination whether or not there’s enough evidence to believe that” a criminal conviction can be obtained beyond a reasonable doubt.

In this case, Riley said, “the charges are largely based on the statements of one witness, an unnamed ‘co-conspirator,’ who has not been indicted. I believe that co-conspirator is Mario Juarez, based on prior news and prior evidence, and prior claims against the Duong family,” said Riley.

In short, the case says that Juarez was engaged in a deal-making process where he claimed he had influence with Mayor Thao and was able to ensure business for the Duongs’ company, California Waste Solutions. Jaurez also said he could also help the Duongs win a contract with the city to build affordable housing.

“From reading the indictment … it appeared (Juarez) claimed he had been able to deliver for the Duong family when, in fact, he hasn’t delivered anything.”

It appears from the charges that Juarez received money from the Duongs by presenting “himself as the entrepreneur who could get this done and that in order to get the money from the Duongs, he told them that he could influence Sheng Thao.”

Riley concluded that “according to the indictment, Juarez presented that he was telling the Duongs he would get a contract and benefits for them and that he took money from the Duongs. But he never delivered anything, and neither Sheng Thao nor the city ever signed any contracts with the Duongs or Juarez.”

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At the event, 16 entities signed the EIP pledge, vowing to take steps to increase public contracting opportunities in their spheres for small and historically underutilized businesses. The pledge signees included Hub International, the Port of San Francisco, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, California High-Speed Rail Authority, the Port of Oakland, Robert Graham of Webcor Builders, Holder Construction, the Weitz Company, Sky Blue Builders, Hornblower, Swinerton, Luster National, Talson Solutions, Center for Community Wealth Building, and the Construction Contractors Alliance.

Published

7 days ago

June 24, 2026

Oakland Post

Toks Omishakin, secretary of the California State Transportation Agency, was one of the speakers at the event. Photo by Shellee Fisher Photography and Design.

By Calvin Naito, Special to The Post

On June 4, a national nonprofit named the Equity in Infrastructure Project (EIP) – which aims to increase public construction contracting opportunities for small and historically underutilized businesses – held a day-long event in downtown San Francisco to rally supporters and build momentum to its cause.

It was attended by more than 100 individuals from public agencies, private firms, and other organizations committed to increasing contracting opportunities with governmental agencies, thereby creating more competition and lowering public costs.

The EIP event was held the Hyatt Regency San Francisco in conjunction with BuildIT, which aims to increase contracting opportunities for LGBT-owned businesses.

At the event, 16 entities signed the EIP pledge, vowing to take steps to increase public contracting opportunities in their spheres for small and historically underutilized businesses.

The pledge signees included Hub International, the Port of San Francisco, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, California High-Speed Rail Authority, the Port of Oakland, Robert Graham of Webcor Builders, Holder Construction, the Weitz Company, Sky Blue Builders, Hornblower, Swinerton, Luster National, Talson Solutions, Center for Community Wealth Building, and the Construction Contractors Alliance.

Following the workshop, BuildIT hosted a VIP evening reception honoring EIP, whose principals – Phil Washington, John Procari, and Rick Jacobs – accepted the award.

The event also set in motion the coalition’s efforts to implement recommendations from EIP’s “Procurement for Prosperity: A Playbook.”

The Playbook is a practical guide for public agency leaders and procurement and contracting practitioners to grow the capacity of small and first-time contractors, strengthen competition, and deliver better value for taxpayers.

Toks Omishakin, Secretary of the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), a long-time EIP supporter, also told attendees, “This is about commitment. This has been a life’s work. This is a tailwind moment.”

The event’s presenting sponsor was Hub International, one of the largest insurance brokerages in the nation, which was joined by partners Travelers Insurance and the State Compensation Insurance Fund.

After the pledge-signing ceremony, attendees participated in a workshop in which they examined the policies, practices, and programs needed to meet EIP goals, learned from practitioners, and identified next steps toward utilizing the Playbook.

Ingrid Meriwether, formerly of Merriwether & Williams Insurance Services (MWIS) and current president of Hub International’s Aligned Risk Management, MWIS, described the hard-fought lessons she and her MWIS team have learned over the last three decades administering contractor development programs (CDPs) for the City and County of San Francisco, Alameda County, City of Los Angeles, LA Metro, and other municipalities.

The CDPs help small and local construction firms win public infrastructure contracts with these government agencies. The program provides bonding assistance, contract financing, technical support, training, and other services to underrepresented businesses funded by public agencies who seek greater contracting participation with these firms.

Merriwether said programs like these “break down systemic barriers, create greater fairness, and save taxpayers money by enabling more competition. The contractor development programs have, cumulatively, over two decades, helped contractors access over $1 billion in bonding, supporting over $380 million in awarded contracts, and maintaining a loss ratio 250 times lower than the industry average – while saving participating municipalities more than $27 million in contracting costs as a result of enabling more competition.”

Rick Jacobs, EIP co-founder and co-chair urged attendees make plans to meet again in the near future “to continue building on this work, share progress on organizational commitments, and discuss how we can collectively advance the goals of the EIP pledge.”

For more information on the EIP and to access a copy of the Playbook, go online to https://equityininfrastructure.org/

Calvin Naito is communications manager for Equity in Infrastructure Project.

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Alameda County

Ferry Fares to Increase July 1 as Ridership Hits Record Highs

The Oakland and Alameda routes will increase from $4.90 to $5.10, the South San Francisco route will go up from $7.40 to $7.60, and the Vallejo route will increase from $9.90 to $10.

Published

7 days ago

June 24, 2026

Oakland Post

Courtesy photo.

By Mike Aldax, The Richmond Standard

Starting July 1, the standard adult fare for the San Francisco Bay Ferry route between Richmond and San Francisco will increase to $5.20, up from the current $4.90.

Discounted fares for eligible passengers, including youth, seniors, people with disabilities, and Clipper START users, will rise to $2.60 from the current $2.40. Children under 5 will continue to ride for free.

The Oakland and Alameda routes will increase from $4.90 to $5.10, the South San Francisco route will go up from $7.40 to $7.60, and the Vallejo route will increase from $9.90 to $10.

The adjustments are part of a systemwide fare update approved by the agency’s Board of Directors, which is moving away from a flat 3% annual increase to route-specific pricing for the 2027 and 2028 fiscal years.

This fare update arrives as San Francisco Bay Ferry celebrates a historic May, transporting 301,270 passengers. The record-breaking figure represents an 8% increase over May 2025 and marks the third consecutive month of record-setting ridership.

Furthermore, it is the sixth month in a row that passenger numbers have exceeded pre-pandemic levels. Weekend travel has been a primary driver of this growth, with average weekend ridership seeing a 56% increase compared to pre-pandemic trends.

The agency states that the fare adjustments are necessary to ensure the long-term fiscal sustainability of public ferry services. By shifting to route-specific adjustments, the agency aims to offset rising operating costs while maintaining the high levels of service frequency and reliability.

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Activism

NCBW-OBAC Champions Black Women Entrepreneurs at Business en Blaque Expo

Aspiring entrepreneurs, small business owners, and financial professionals gathered for a day of education, networking, and community engagement. Participants attended workshops and panel discussions covering Business Literacy 101, wealth-building strategies, and entrepreneurship fundamentals.

Published

1 week ago

June 24, 2026

Oakland Post

NCBW OBAC President Shari Wooldridge, moderator Jennifer Hammock, Eva Allen of Full Belly Bakery, Samantha Wise of Tip Top Shape, Ashley Harvey of Phoenix AI, Michelle McQueen, owner of Town Fare and Lucy Blue, at the "Business en Blaque” Entrepreneurship Workshop and Small Business Expo at Oakland's Executive Inn & Suites. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., Oakland Bay Area Chapter (NCBW-OBAC) strengthened its commitment to economic empowerment through its 2026 Sisternomics initiative, offering free financial literacy and entrepreneurship resources aimed at advancing financial independence among Black women.

As part of the initiative, the “Business en Blaque” Entrepreneurship Workshop and Small Business Expo was held Saturday, May 23, at the Executive Inn & Suites in Oakland.

Aligned with the national theme “Resilient. Resourceful. Ready.,” the event highlighted NCBW-OBAC’s ongoing efforts to close economic gaps and expand opportunities for Black women.

One featured session, moderated by Jennifer Hammock, included panelists Eva Allen of Full Belly Bakery, Samantha Wise of Tip Top Shape, Ashley Harvey of Phoenix AI, and Michelle McQueen, owner of Town Fare and Lucy Blue. Panelists shared candid insights on their business journeys, including both successes and challenges.

McQueen and Blue emphasized the importance of maintaining clear financial records. “It’s important to know where you stand financially so you can make adjustments when necessary,” she said.

Ashley Harvey of Phoenix AI encouraged entrepreneurs to leverage AI tools such as ChatGPT and Claude to streamline operations and save time. She also stressed the importance of consistency in marketing. “Just put it out there. We’ve got to get over ourselves,” she said, noting that pre-scheduling social media posts can improve efficiency.

Wise echoed that sentiment, highlighting the value of consistent engagement. “I post two to three times a day because people want to be engaged, and your post doesn’t have to be perfect,” she said. She also shared that her faith continues to guide her work and purpose.

Allen spoke to the role of passion and community in entrepreneurship. “Baking is my passion, and it’s great to build community,” she said.

In addition to educational sessions, the Small Business Expo showcased local Black-owned businesses, creating a platform for visibility and support. The event fostered meaningful connections among attendees, speakers, and vendors.

Anita Russell of Working Solutions provided guidance on accessing capital, encouraging entrepreneurs to be prepared and intentional. “Do your homework, know your ‘why,’ and do not marginalize each other,” she said.