« Belgium: Muslim Prisoners "To Be Bugged" |
| US: Jury Clears Suspected Islamist Professor of Some Terror Charges »
December 6, 2005
US: Black Muslim Heir Bailed
We reported earlier on the strange happenings in Oakland, California. Two shops had been vandalised by black men in suits and ties, who told store-owners to stop selling alcohol to black customers. In a subsequent event a store was burned down, and its clerk found imprisoned in the trunk of a car abandoned at a Safeway parking space.
Suspicion fell on the Black Muslims, a religious and commercial enterprise founded by Yusuf Bey in the 1960s. Bey died of colon cancer in 2003 while a court case was being mounted against him for sexual abuse, but since his death the business has been continued. There have been murders too - 51-year old Waajid Aljawaad Bey, CEO of Your Black Muslim Bakery was found in 2004, having been shot weeks before. 24-year old Antar Bey, the "heir" to the family fortune was shot dead on October 25.
A warrant was issued for six members of the Black Muslims, who own Your Black Muslim Bakery, which was founded by Yusuf Bey senior in 1968.
On 29 November, Yusuf Bey Junior, the 19 year old "new heir", and the 73 year old Donald Eugene Cunningham gave themselves up to the police. They were arrested on suspicion of vandalism, conspiracy, robbery and making terrorist threats. They were booked at the North County jail, being held in lieu of $200,000 bail.
The Oakland Tribune now reports that Yusuf Bey junior has been able to raise his bail, and is now free until his trial, while Cunningham remains in jail. Cunningham is a jazz clarinetist who was a close associate of Yusuf Bey senior.
Bey went free on Saturday. His attorney, Lorna Brown, said that he would be pleading not guilty to the charges laid against him. Cunningham's lawyer said he was still attempting to raise bail for his client, but said that his client too would plead not guilty.
Oakland was one of the first places to introduce "hate crime" legislation, which happened in the aftermath of 9/11. The Oakland Tribune notes that with the "hate crime" notice appended to their cases, the two men could have years' extra time added to any possible prison sentences.
Four other people named on the original arrest warrant have yet to be found.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at December 6, 2005 11:31 PM
Comments
nice blog
Posted by: criminal record at December 13, 2005 5:50 PM
Post a comment
Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)