Andy Duong has ties to cafe earlier searched by state authorities
OAKLAND — A member of the family that runs Oakland’s recycling contractor and whose home was recently raided by the FBI also was involved with a former cafe and karaoke lounge state authorities had linked to alleged drug dealing, pimping and human trafficking, records show.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Andy Duong, whose family runs recycling company California Waste Solutions, held “himself out as the proprietor” of the Music Cafe, a downtown restaurant and karaoke lounge, the records show. The business, which closed in February 2019, was linked to “straw donors” that Duong allegedly used to conceal donations to Oakland and South Bay candidates.
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His Oakland Hills home was searched by federal authorities on June 20, along with residences belonging to his father David Duong and Mayor Sheng Thao, as well as the offices of California Waste Solutions.
Andy Duong has never been arrested or charged with a crime related to the 2018 Alcoholic Beverage Control investigation of the Music Cafe in Oakland’s Chinatown. The investigation of the cafe led to three arrests and two convicted of conspiracy and accessory charges.
A representative for the Duong family did not respond to specific questions about Andy Duong’s alleged ties to the 9th Street cafe, but in a general statement called the family “good citizens who always obey the law.”
“We believe that we have not engaged in or committed any illegal activities and are awaiting the decision of the law enforcement agency,” the statement said.
A man alleged to be a “straw donor” on behalf of the Duong family was arrested on suspicion of narcotics sales after a raid at the cafe.
Charlie Ngo, 35, the alleged “straw donor,” was among people who either managed, owned or were affiliated with the cafe who gave roughly $18,000, mostly to Oakland City Council candidates, between 2016 and 2018. All of them allegedly gave money on behalf of Andy Duong, who was accused of having “cash in a drawer in his CWS office” used to give to a person tasked with lining up straw donors, records filed by the Fair Political Practices Commission said. An investigation is ongoing.
Since 2019, Andy and David Duong have been under investigation by city ethics investigators for allegedly circumventing campaign finance limits by using several individuals and businesses to funnel money to candidates.
In a probable cause filing related to the straw donor investigation, Angela J. Brereton, chief of enforcement for the FPPC, wrote that Andy Duong “is affiliated with multiple businesses including … the former Sancha Bar/Music Cafe.”
Investigators with Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission wrote in a separate filing that it is “in possession of private messages in which Andy Duong holds himself out as the proprietor of the Music Cafe a/k/a Sancha Bar.”
Brereton wrote that state Assembly Member Ash Kalra told investigators that “Duong discussed his business, the Sancha Bar/Music Cafe. Kalra stated he understood Duong was an owner of this business.”
Kalra provided multiple text messages he received from Duong to investigators, including one from October 2017 about Duong’s karaoke club “where Duong tells Kalra to let him know when he would like to visit so he can set it up ‘real good for you.’ Duong also sent a photo of the karaoke room. According to Kalra, he had lunch with Duong years ago but did not discuss campaign contributions.”
He must of really upset the Dem’s for some reason.
There is a Mexican Rest. in Goleta that has been doing the same thing, been protected by the cops, and had the Chamber of Commerce promote a ribbon cutting.
Now there is corruption served on a plate.
The Dem. are so corrupt it would take decades just to throw them in jail.