San Leandro councilman indicted in corruption case

Federal prosecutors yesterday (Tuesday) charged longtime San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo with accepting kickbacks for helping a housing company win a city contract.

The Oaklandside reports Azevedo was charged with accepting bribes from the prominent operators of a housing company that wanted to do business with San Leandro.

Last January, FBI agents raided Azevedo’s home Four months later, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California informed Azevedo that he was under criminal investigation and told the councilman they were “interested in resolving this matter short of an indictment.”

The indictment appears to be part of a sprawling federal probe that led to last year’s bribery, mail and wire fraud indictments against former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, her boyfriend, Andre Jones.

Also charged were David Duong and his son, Andy, the owners of California Waste Solutions, which has a billion-dollar contract to provide collection and recycling services to Oakland.

None of the defendants have yet to stand trial.

Federal prosecutors allege the Duongs were offered bribes in order to exercise illegal influence over the levers of Oakland’s city government.