⏱ 4 min read
Derrick Bernard, a 36-year-old from Colorado Springs, burned a cross in front of a Black political candidate’s campaign sign defaced with a racial slur on April 23, 2023, just over three weeks before the Colorado Springs mayoral runoff election. The cross burning was a deliberate attempt to intimidate and threaten the candidate, but it was all a hoax. Bernard and his co-defendant, Ashley Blackcloud, sent an email to the candidate, media outlets, and other organizations, falsely blaming the candidate’s opponent for the crime.
The conspiracy was uncovered when the Colorado Springs Police Department gathered surveillance footage around the scene of the cross burning. The footage revealed three people staging the crime, and additional investigative work by the CSPD and FBI identified Bernard and Blackcloud as the culprits. The two defendants were self-declared activists and social media personalities who worked together to maliciously convey false information about the cross burning via social media platforms.
Bernard’s plan was to mobilize his followers and create a false narrative about the crime. He sent a message to the threatened candidate, explaining that he was ‘mobilizing my squad in defense. Black ops style big brother’ and then immediately texted Blackcloud, ‘I got a plan.’ The plan was to burn the cross, take a video and photo, and then spread false information about the crime.
The hoax was meant to sway the election, but it ultimately backfired. Bernard was found guilty by a federal jury and sentenced to 46 months in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and a $200 special assessment. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Regina M. Rodriguez.
The case highlights the dangers of hate crime hoaxes and the importance of thorough investigations. The FBI and CSPD worked tirelessly to uncover the truth, and their efforts led to the conviction of Bernard and the exposure of his malicious plan.
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📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Violent Crime
- Defendant: Colorado
- Location: CO
- Source: DOJ Press Release
