Woman Pleads Guilty in Hoax Cross-Burning Incident Targeting Colorado Springs' First Black Mayor

In a federal court in Denver, Deanna West admitted responsibility on Tuesday for her involvement in a cross-burning hoax. The unrelated hate crime was staged to appear like a racially-charged threat against Yemi Mobolade, who subsequently became Colorado Springs' first Black mayor. West faced a conspiracy count related to setting the fire and disseminating misinformation surrounding the incident. Prosecutors agreed to dismiss an additional charge as part of her plea deal.

Court documents indicate that the primary intention behind the conspiracy was to influence voters by fostering a narrative that racial intimidation sought to derail Mobolade's mayoral run. In reality, the cross-burning was strategically orchestrated, with footage distributed to media and community groups to trigger public outrage and sympathy toward Mobolade, weakening his opponent's position.

West's involvement was reportedly motivated by her dependence on co-defendant Derrick Bernard, from whom she received employment and housing support. The plea agreement stated that West agreed to participate in the scheme in an attempt to maintain Bernard's favor.

Meanwhile, attorneys representing Derrick Bernard and Ashley Blackcloud—two other individuals indicted—assert that the act represented political expression and should be protected under the First Amendment's guarantees of free speech. They are requesting the charges against their clients be dismissed, arguing no direct threats were made and the incident did not physically endanger anyone, occurring privately at night without witnesses outside the defendants.

According to prosecutors, Bernard communicated with Mobolade both before and after the April 2023 incident. A Facebook message from Bernard to Mobolade referenced plans to mobilize supporters against perceived racist opposition. The two men additionally spoke briefly by phone subsequent to the incident. Mayor Mobolade has emphasized he had no prior knowledge or involvement in the staged cross-burning and cooperated fully with authorities. Mobolade also shared that the Department of Justice officially recognized him as a victim during their investigation.