Source: Office of United States Attorneys
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Derrick Bernard Jr., 36, and Ashley Blackcloud, 40, were convicted by a federal jury for conspiring to threaten or convey false information about a threat when they burned a cross in front of a Black political candidate’s campaign sign defaced with a racial slur and publicized their threatening activity. The cross burning took place on April 23, 2023, just over three weeks before the Colorado Springs mayoral runoff election held on May 16, 2023.
Evidence presented at the five-day trial showed that ten days before the cross burning, Bernard sent a message to the threatened candidate in which he explained he was “mobilizing my squad in defense. Black ops style big brother” and then immediately texted Blackcloud, “I got a plan.” After the burning occurred, Bernard and Blackcloud then worked together to send an email to the candidate, media outlets, and other local, state, and national organizations. Attached to the email was a short video of the cross burning and a still photograph. The email falsely blamed the candidate’s political opponent for the crime. The defendants then worked together to maliciously convey false information about the cross burning via social media platforms.
The conspiracy was uncovered when the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) gathered surveillance footage around the scene of the cross burning. The CSPD’s extensive review of the footage revealed three people prowling through the darkness between 2:30 and 3:30 in the morning to stage the crime. Additional investigative work by the CSPD and exhaustive efforts by the FBI ultimately identified Bernard and Blackcloud, self-declared activists and social media personalities, as two of the culprits.
Sentencing for Derrick Bernard is scheduled for September 11, 2025. Sentencing for Ashley Blackcloud is scheduled for September 17, 2025. Co-defendant Deanna West previously pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 4, 2025.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with substantial assistance from the Colorado Springs Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bryan Fields and Candyce Cline.
CASE NUMBER: 24-cr-00320-RMR