US Edition
Colorado couple found guilty over cross burning meant to draw sympathy for Black candidate
- A federal jury found Ashley Blackcloud and Derrick Bernard guilty in 2025 for staging a cross burning hate crime during the 2023 Colorado Springs mayoral race.
- The defendants planned the hoax to generate voter sympathy and boost Yemi Mobolade's campaign in the state's second-largest city amid controversy over Mobolade's knowledge.
- The jury considered whether the cross burning and accompanying racial slur constituted a criminal threat, balancing First Amendment protections against Mobolade's perception of danger to his family.
- The defendants were convicted of conspiracy and using interstate commerce to transmit false threat information, with both facing up to 10 years in prison after about four hours of jury deliberation.
- Mobolade denied involvement and the FBI found no evidence linking him to the hoax, while defense attorneys argued the act was political theater intended to highlight local racism.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Hate-crime hoax trial: Jury returns guilty verdict on all counts after 4-hour deliberation
DENVER • Jurors found the two defendants guilty on all counts Friday, at the conclusion of a five-day trial in U.S. District Court for the suspects allegedly involved in the hate crime “hoax” that made headlines during the 2023 Colorado…
New York Post
DNyuzColorado couple found guilty over hate crime hoax meant to draw sympathy for black candidate
A Colorado couple who burned a cross in front of a Black mayoral candidate’s campaign sign to generate voter sympathy was convicted Friday of conveying false information about a threat.
Couple found guilty over cross burning meant to draw sympathy for Black candidate ahead of Colorado Springs mayoral election
Prosecutors argued that although the defendants broadcast the hoax to aid Yemi Mobolade in the mayoral race, their actions still amounted to a threat
Associated Press News
Colorado couple found guilty over cross burning meant to draw sympathy for Black candidate
A jury in Colorado has found that a couple who burned a cross to generate sympathy for a Black mayoral candidate is guilty of conveying false information about a threat.
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