Colorado trio indicted for allegedly staging hate crime against Black mayoral candidate

A federal grand jury has indicted three people over their alleged role in a hate crime hoax against a Black mayoral candidate in Colorado, the U.S. Attorney's Office in the state Tuesday.

Derrick Bernard Jr., Ashley Blackcloud and Deanna West were charged for their alleged roles in a conspiracy to spread disinformation about a burning cross set up last year in front of a vandalized campaign sign for Yemi Mobolade, then an independent candidate for mayor of Colorado Springs.

The attorney's office said the trio worked together to light the cross on fire in front of a sign for Mobolade, who now serves as mayor of Colorado Springs, that was overwritten with the word "n***er." They later allegedly disseminated false information about the event in an anonymous email to news and civic organizations.

"My family and I are completely outraged by the jesters [sic] made towards running candidate Yemi Mobalade," the email read, according to the indictment. "I'm a native here and I've seen a lot of racism in this city and I never thought that in 2023 we would be still be subjected to extreme acts."

Also written in the email was a claim that the authors received footage of the cross burning through an "anonymous tip," the indictment shows. "What has this city come to?!" the message allegedly says.

The authors also claimed that supporters of Wayne Williams, the Republican candidate in the mayoral race, carried out the burning of the cross, according to the indictment.

"How are we going to stop this and stop these people from spreading hate crimes throughout the community?" the email allegedly read. "It's clear who's sending this message and the people of this city need to know!!

"Candidate Wayne Williams is pushing hard to win this candidacy and I'm completely appalled by how his following and members are carrying out this nonsense," the indictment shows the message as continuing.

Bernard Jr. allegedly later sent Blackcloud a link to a news report about the cross burning, followed up with a text reading, "we got traction."

Blackcloud made her initial appearance in a Denver court on Tuesday, according to the attorney's office. Bernard Jr. and West have not yet made their appearances.

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