Woman pleads guilty in Colorado Springs hate crime hoax
ByTamira Musgrave | American Faith
A Colorado woman has pleaded guilty to a federal charge related to a 2023 hate crime hoax involving a burning cross and a defaced campaign sign. Deanna West, 38, admitted to maliciously conveying false information with a threat, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado. The incident, which took place on April 23, 2023, targeted a mayoral campaign sign for then-candidate Yemi Mobolade in Colorado Springs.
West conspired with two others, Derrick Bernard Jr. and Ashley Blackcloud, both of whom have been indicted and are awaiting trial. Prosecutors say the three orchestrated the hoax by burning a cross near Mobolade’s campaign sign and later spreading false information about the event.
Mobolade, originally f...