Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Year in Prison for Role in Hate Crime Hoax
Reason ^ | 1/16/26 | Eugene Volokh

Posted on 01/16/2026 7:22:45 PM PST by CFW

Judge Regina M. Rodriguez (D. Colo.) decided yesterday in U.S. v. Blackcloud; for more on the case, see this November 2024 press release by the U.S. Attorney's office in Colorado:

The U.S.Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado announces that Derrick Bernard Jr., 35, [Ashley] Blackcloud, 40, and Deanna West,38, were indicted by a federal grand jury for maliciously conveying false information about a threat made by means of fire: a burning cross in front of a campaign sign defaced with a racial slur.

According to the indictment, the three defendants were charged for their alleged roles in a conspiracy to spread disinformation about the threat. The 2023 Colorado Springs mayoral run-off election involved Candidate 1, who was Black, and Candidate 2, who was white. After the initial election but before the run-off, Bernard sent a message to the other defendants in which he explained he was "mobilizing my squad in defense. Black ops style big brother." He also sent messages referencing a desire to prevent "the klan" from gaining political control of the city. Bernard then worked [... ] a cross burning in front of a campaign sign for Candidate 1 defaced with a racial slur. The three then allegedly spread false information about the event through an email from an anonymous source to various news and civic organizations.

And from the indictment:

[ ] supporters of CANDIDATE 1 placed a campaign sign encouraging others to vote for CANDIDATE 1 in a grassy area on the northwest corner of the intersection...... together to place a wooden cross in front of that campaign sign. Red spray paint, similar in kind to a can later found in the passenger compartment of BLACKCLOUD's car, was used to write the word "ni**er" on the sign. The wooden cross was then set on fire…

(Excerpt) Read more at reason.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Politics/Elections; US: Colorado
KEYWORDS: 2dogs; ashleyblackcloud; campaign; colorado; coloradosprings; crossburning; deannawest; democrats; derrickbernardjr; dirtytricks; elections; fakehatecrimes; hatecrimehoax
I heard about this at the time and knew it was a hoax. It had to be. No matter what the media may tell you, white people don't actually go around setting crosses on fire anytime they encounter a black person.

I'm glad to hear someone was finally sentence to prison for a hate crime hoax.

1 posted on 01/16/2026 7:22:45 PM PST by CFW
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: CFW

Here is the press release from this week.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-co/pr/colorado-springs-woman-sentenced-12-months-one-day-after-being-convicted-charges-arising


2 posted on 01/16/2026 7:26:32 PM PST by CFW
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CFW

I think the candidate favored by the hoaxers won the runoff.


3 posted on 01/16/2026 7:34:34 PM PST by Fido969
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Fido969

I think the candidate favored by the hoaxers won the runoff.


It’s Colorado so I’m not surprised. It’s a shame what has happened to the lovely, formerly conservative, state.


4 posted on 01/16/2026 7:37:30 PM PST by CFW
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: CFW

Where are we at now, at about 0.45% actual hate crimes and about 99.55% fake ones?


5 posted on 01/16/2026 7:39:41 PM PST by SharpRightTurn (“Giving money & power to government is like giving whiskey & car keys to teenage boys” P.J. O'Rourke)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CFW

they were the first to legalize pot and a bunch of loonies moved there to indulge ...


6 posted on 01/16/2026 7:40:21 PM PST by bankwalker (Feminists, like all Marxists, are ungrateful parasites.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: CFW

Two of the criminals plus the mayor on the right I think 🤔🤔🤔

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_0YXHaFIV2U/sddefault.jpg


7 posted on 01/16/2026 7:44:54 PM PST by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the Days of Lot; They did Eat, They Drank, They Bought, They Sold ......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SharpRightTurn

Not sure of the exact count, but it is plain that the demand for white supremacists greatly exceeds the supply.


8 posted on 01/16/2026 8:28:13 PM PST by Vigilanteman (The politicized state destroys many aspects of civil society, human kindness and private charity.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: CFW

They pay a small price for making most blacks fearful of white crazy people all around them that in reality do bot exist.

20 years would be fair...as 20 years of blacks will remember the initial report and not hear the truth, looking behind them always for the boogieman and voting that way.


9 posted on 01/16/2026 9:46:00 PM PST by If You Want It Fixed - Fix It
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CFW
Re: "Colorado, the lovely, formerly conservative, state."

2004 - George W. Bush re-election was the last GOP national candidate to win there.

The state is still 65% (non-Hispanic) white. 23% Hispanic.

A lot of those white folks are voting Hard Left.

10 posted on 01/17/2026 6:18:30 AM PST by zeestephen (Trump Landslide? Kamala lost the election by 230,000 votes, in WI, MI, and PA.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: CFW

“It’s a shame what has happened to the lovely, formerly conservative, state.”

We are infested with coastal parasites and they’re still pouring in.


11 posted on 01/17/2026 7:01:15 AM PST by dljordan (Yeah, I'm a Boomer and it's all my fault you whiny little bitch.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: CFW
It’s a shame what has happened to the lovely, formerly conservative, state.

They should have banned Democrats fleeing California.

12 posted on 01/17/2026 10:24:21 AM PST by JimRed (TERM LIMITS, NOW! Finish the damned WALL! TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH! )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson