Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and three other defendants were charged by federal prosecutors in an eight-count indictment unsealed on Jan. 17 alleging that the group participated in a bribery and corruption scheme that sought to benefit a company with nearly $90 million in city contracts.
The recently recalled Thao, who was arraigned during a 10:30 a.m. court hearing in Oakland, pleaded not guilty to six charges and was released on a $50,000 bond.
