Defense Casts Doubt on Key Witness in Former Oakland Mayor's Corruption Trial

In a packed Oakland federal courtroom on Thursday, Ed Swanson, the lawyer representing David Duong – the founder of California Waste Solutions – turned the day into a war of words aimed squarely at the prosecution’s star witness, Mario Juarez.

Juarez, who already pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to bribe a public official, told the court that his plea deal obliges him to be truthful on the stand. Yet Swanson kept pressing, asking sharp‑edged questions that highlighted contradictions and, frankly, Juarez’s own sketchy past.

The heart of the dispute centers on a failed partnership between the Duongs and Juarez’s firm, Evolutionary Homes. Prosecutors say the three men tried to push Oakland to buy $3 million worth of container homes for homeless residents – a deal that allegedly included cash kickbacks to former Mayor Sheng Thao and her boyfriend.

During cross‑examination, Swanson played a recording of Juarez venting, “I’m disappointed she promised something and isn’t keeping it… it’s personal now.” The defense used that moment to suggest personal grudges, not objective facts, were driving Juarez’s testimony.

Further, the attorneys dangled evidence that the Duongs repeatedly demanded an accounting of the $750,000 they’d funneled into the startup. Juarez admitted keeping roughly $200,000 of that money, a fact that only added fuel to the fire.

Former federal corruption prosecutor Wilson Leung observed that defense teams often try to make a witness look “defensive, guarded, and unlikable” when a dramatic “Perry Mason” moment is unlikely. “They’re looking for that impression on the jury,” he said.

Juarez’s own admissions didn’t help his case. He confessed to bouncing checks to Butterfly Printers, a minority‑owned business that printed an attack mailer for Thao’s mayoral campaign, and to surrendering his real‑estate license after inflating a tenant’s security deposit and pocketing $14,000. He also kept a woman’s $44,000 check that was supposed to pay off her mortgage.

Leung summed it up succinctly: “Yes, Mr. Juarez has a lot of issues. He’s admitted to crimes of his own, both related to the charged crimes and also past misconduct.”

Temperatures rose as Swanson and Juarez raised their voices during the heated exchange, turning the courtroom into something that felt more like a reality‑TV showdown than a typical legal proceeding.

The trial is set to continue on Monday, with the jury now having a mixed picture of a witness who is both a participant in the alleged scheme and a self‑confessed felon.