Oakland — The leader of a Black Muslim group pleaded not guilty Thursday to more than two dozen felony charges including torture, kidnapping and real estate fraud. Yusef Bey IV and two other members of Your Black Muslim Bakery in Oakland are, among other things, accused of kidnapping a woman in a fake police car and torturing her in an attempt to get her acquaintance's money.
Outside Alameda County Superior Court Thursday, Bey's attorney, Ted Johnson, told reporters his client had nothing to do with the Aug. 2 killing of Oakland Post editor Chauncey Bailey, who was investigating the organization's finances.
Police said bakery handyman Devaughndre Broussard confessed to the murder the day after Bailey was killed, but Broussard's attorney has accused Bey of coercing his client into a false confession when investigators allowed them to speak alone at police headquarters.
On Thursday, Johnson said Bey had only told Broussard to tell the truth, and his client doesn't know whether Broussard killed Bailey.
Bey is the son of Yusef Bey, who founded the bakery nearly 40 years ago to serve the poor. Earlier this month, a judge ordered the organization to liquidate its assets to pay off debts.
