Sex trafficking charges involving daughter of Richmond police chief dropped

A judge dismissed the case against a man who Richmond Police Chief Bisa French and her husband, Oakland Police Sgt. Lee French, say trafficked their daughter, an attorney familiar with the case said Tuesday.

Oho McNair, also known as Joe Goldman, was arrested in October by the U.S. Marshals Service on suspicion of sex trafficking. The case against the 34-year-old McNair was dismissed Monday by Alameda County Superior Court Judge C. Don Clay because the alleged victim, now an adult, refused to testify, attorney Mike Rains said.

McNair won’t be prosecuted for the alleged trafficking, Rains said:

Unless there’s a miracle.”

Prosecutors were unable to offer the evidence needed without the woman’s testimony, Rains said.

McNair’s attorney Loren Williams, with the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office, declined to comment.

The parents though are dealing with even larger challenges that have arisen as a result of the case.

Vallejo police are investigating both officers for alleged threats toward McNair. Also, their daughter has obtained a stay-away order against her parents.

Chief French is alleged to have said she wanted to hurt McNair when she was speaking to McNair’s mother, Rains said. Rains has previously said that he didn’t think anything said by the Frenches qualified as a threat.

Both officers are still on administrative leave with their respective departments.

The stay-away order is for one year and the officers were allowed to retain their guns, Rains said.