Woman convicted of orchestrating hate crime hoax gets a year in prison

DENVER (CN) — A federal judge on Thursday sentenced a Colorado woman to a year and a day in prison for her role in orchestrating a hate crime hoax designed to boost support for a candidate running for mayor of Colorado Springs in 2023.

“We are a republic, we are a democracy and that only works if we protect and defend our Constitution and our elections,” said U.S. District Judge Regina Rodriguez.

Ashley Blackcloud, who goes by Trinity, faced up to 24 months in prison after a jury found her guilty of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and interstate intimidation using fire. Prosecutors had requested an enhanced sentence topping three years.

“This is a case where the technical guideline calculation does not encapsulate the harm of an attempt to alter an election with misinformation,” argued U.S. Attorney Bryan Fields.

When Yemi Mobolade ran for mayor of Colorado Springs in 2023, someone photographed a burning cross beside his campaign sign — a hallmark of the KKK. Spread across Facebook and reported on by local media, the photo sparked outrage and prompted an FBI investigation.

Instead of a racist hate crime, however, federal investigators found the whole thing was a hoax designed to drive voters to turn out and push Mobolade into the lead. Ultimately Mobolade became the first Black mayor elected to serve Colorado Springs.

The government charged three people with two crimes: conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and interstate intimidation using fire. Following a five-day trial, a Colorado jury found Blackcloud and co-defendant Derrick Bernard guilty of both charges.

During trial Mobolade testified that he was not involved in the hoax and that he felt frightened for his family.

Bernard’s sentencing has been delayed after his attorney raised questions about his competency to move forward with court proceedings.

The third defendant, Deanna West, pleaded guilty to a single charge of conspiracy in exchange for the government dropping the second charge. Rodriguez sentenced her to three years of probation last year.

Blackcloud’s attorney, Britt Cobb, characterized the stunt as “clickbait,” and asked the court to justify sentencing her client to prison when others donning swastikas attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, then walked free.

“When the government treats people differently based on their political alliances, it bothers me and I hope it bother this court,” Cobb said.

Rodriguez countered that the presidential pardon was granted outside of the judicial system.

“Many of them were sentenced to the sentences we are considering in this case and more,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez denied Blackcloud’s motion for an acquittal after the verdict. Rodriguez also factored a hate crime enhancement into Blackcloud’s sentence, finding that Mobolade had been targeted because he is Black.

In addressing the court, Blackcloud sought to clear the record and apologize.

“I want to apologize to my entire city, because the real victims are the people I love, the people I dedicated my life to serving, that’s who I let down. I let my family down. I let myself down,” Blackcloud said.

Blackcloud maintained she believed Mobolade asked Bernard to carry out the hoax in exchange for obtaining a grant for her nonprofit. Blinded by the promise of $70,000, Blackcloud told the court she never considered she was committing a crime when she helped burn the cross and spread the footage, and she did not consider the larger consequences of her actions.

“I am not a monster, I am not a racist, I am not a fascist, I am a person who made a bad choice,” Blackcloud said. “You will sentence me to a judgment today, but that will not be the beginning of my sentence and that will not be the end of my sentence.”

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