Alleged 'straw giver' in Sheng Thao controversy shot at home, allegedly beaten

A minor figure in the growing political storm sparked by the FBI raid on Sheng Thao said he faced major harassment and violence, and that shots were fired at his home days before the raid.

On Thursday, we published a lengthy summary of what we currently know about last week's FBI raid on Mayor Sheng Thao's home. And we don't know anything officially, because the FBI isn't saying why it conducted this raid on Thao's home, or the homes of prolific political donors David and Andy Duong, or the offices of Cal Waste Solutions that the Duongs both run. Thao continues to maintain his innocence.

Our report on Thursday referenced a ton of new reporting on alleged illegal campaign donations coming from the Chronicle, Oaklandside and KGO. That KGO report focused on an allegedly illegally funded campaign mailer for Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign, funded by an Oakland man named Mario Juarez, who just so happens to be facing criminal charges for bouncing the mailers’ check.

Yet on Friday, the Chronicle reported a strange detail: Shots were fired at Juarez's home just 11 days before the raids. You might think this has nothing to do with the raids. After all, this is Oakland. But the Chronicle also notes that Juarez was brutally attacked on May 3, an attack that occurred at the very Cal Waste Solutions offices where the FBI raided.

Juarez's attorney, Ernesto Castillo, said the shootings constituted an attempt to assassinate Juarez, but told the Chronicle he was “not at liberty” to reveal why.

The Chronicle describes Juarez as “an Oakland businessman with a history of financial troubles who has run twice for City Council.”

Both incidents were confirmed by Oakland Police Department reports that showed the incidents occurred on the dates and times described, although no names were listed in either report.

“He’s lucky to be alive,” Castillo added to the Chronicle. “He was ambushed – severely beaten on one occasion and on another occasion he was met with gunfire as he arrived at his home. »

Juarez was charged with a felony in January for bouncing a check, though the Chronicle cites his social media posts as saying, “This is not the first time a prosecutor has charged an innocent person.” There is no evidence that Juarez is a target, or even a subject, of the FBI’s ongoing and still-mysterious investigation.

Related: Scandal allegedly behind FBI raid on Sheng Thao resulted in 93 suspected illegal donations – some may be intended to recall donors (SFist)

Image: NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 02: Sheng Thao speaks on stage during the TAAF Heritage Month Summit at The Glasshouse on May 02, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by JP Yim/Getty Images for The Asian American Foundation)