The FBI raided the home of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, local media reported.
The Democratic lawmaker’s Maiden Lane home was raided around 5:30 a.m. PT on Thursday, CBS San Francisco reports.
It’s unclear why the property was raided, but based on public records, it appears Thao rents the home.
Earlier this week, it was revealed that Thao faces a recall election as voters complain about rising crime in the Bay Area city.
They say his progressive, soft-on-crime policies have emboldened criminals and scared away businesses.
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s home in the crime-ridden city was raided by FBI agents on Thursday, local media said.
A photo of his house on Maiden Lane is seen surrounded by multiple unmarked black vehicles parked on the street.
‘The FBI is conducting court-authorized law enforcement activities on Maiden Lane. “We are unable to provide additional information at this time,” the agency said Thursday morning.
a neighbor told him ABC7 News who woke up when authorities knocked on his door around 6 am.
According to a law enforcement source, this raid is just one of four locations in Oakland that will be searched by the FBI.
A photo of his home was seen surrounded by multiple unmarked black vehicles parked on the street.
Thao will face a historic recall election in November amid anger over his failure to control the situation in Oakland.
The progressive Democratic lawmaker is the first mayor in the city’s history to be recalled, after a campaign to recall her garnered more than 40,000 signatures.
Sheng Thao will face a historic recall election in November amid anger over his failure to control the situation in Oakland.
It’s unclear why the property was raided, but according to public records, it appears Thao rents the house (pictured).
“In just one year, Thao’s incompetence and dishonesty accelerated Oakland’s decline, leading to the closure of long-standing businesses and the abandonment of generational families,” the Oakland United to Recall Sheng Thao (OUST) campaign website stated. ).
Critics are also angry that he missed a chance to apply for a $15 million retail theft grant, fired Oakland Police Chief LaRonne Armstrong “without cause” without naming a successor, and lost the Oakland A’s baseball team. Oakland.
They also accused her of lying when calling the State of Emergency to confront the wave of crime plaguing the city.
Oakland has been rocked by violent crime in recent months, including murders that increased from 78 in 2019 to 126 last year.
Overall crime increased 18 percent in 2023, property crimes increased 17 percent and violent crimes increased 21 percent.
And in the first four months of 2024, residential burglaries skyrocketed 118 percent compared to the same period last year.
Surprisingly, in 2023 one car was also stolen for every 30 residents.
A Florida family was robbed on their first day in Oakland, where they were visiting to register their son for college on Tuesday.
The situation has led several large corporations to withdraw from the city, citing fears for staff safety and the crippling impact of retail theft.
On Tuesday, a Florida family leaving their son in the city to enroll him in college had their rental car looted. Since then, the traumatized parents and their family fled the city and withdrew their son from studying there.
In August, a particularly disturbing video showed an innocent woman being dragged along the ground by two muggers after trying to fight them off.
Oakland’s only In-N-Out Burger restaurant in the area closed after 18 years, despite still making healthy profits, as customers and staff were “unsafe” due to rising crime rates, the company said .
Local Denny’s also closed its doors, while Taco Bell refuses to allow indoor dining amid a series of incidents.
Oakland has been rocked by violent crime in recent months, including murders that increased from 78 in 2019 to 126 last year. (pictured) Police investigate multiple shooting and homicide at Oakland gas station in January 2023)
A Taco Bell in downtown Oakland that is no longer allowing customers inside for safety reasons.
Earlier this year, Kaiser, PG&E, Clorox and Blue Shield announced they were spending $10 million of their own cash on additional safety measures for their employees amid inaction from the city.
Thao’s opponents blame his progressive policies for skyrocketing crime.
Among them was a bizarre proposal suggesting that life coaching could help tackle homicides and other crimes.
The plan was suggested as part of the city’s ceasefire plan, which had been waning until Thao took office.
