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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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)
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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.)
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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 ......)
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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.)
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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
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