Ashley Blackcloud, a 40-year-old resident of Colorado Springs, has been sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison following her conviction for staging a hate crime. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Regina M. Rodriguez after a jury found Blackcloud guilty in May 2025.
Blackcloud and co-defendant Derrick Bernard were convicted of conspiring to threaten or convey false information about a threat involving a burning cross placed in front of a Black political candidate’s campaign sign, which had also been defaced with a racial slur written in red spray paint. After the staged incident, Blackcloud, Bernard, and another convicted co-conspirator used email and social media to publicize the threat ahead of the Colorado Springs mayoral runoff election.
During the trial, evidence showed that ten days before the cross burning took place on April 23, 2023, Bernard sent a message to the targeted candidate stating he was “mobilizing my squad in defense. Black ops style big brother” and then texted Blackcloud saying “I got a plan.” Following the incident, both defendants collaborated to send an email containing video and photographic evidence of the cross burning to the candidate as well as media outlets and various organizations. The email falsely accused the candidate’s political opponent of committing the act. They also spread this false information through social media platforms.
The conspiracy was discovered when surveillance footage collected by the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) showed three individuals at the scene between 2:30 and 3:30 AM staging what appeared to be a hate crime. Further investigation by CSPD along with efforts from the FBI identified Bernard and Blackcloud—who described themselves as activists and social media personalities—as two participants in staging the event.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation with significant support from CSPD. Assistant United States Attorneys Bryan Fields and Candyce Cline prosecuted this case.
Sentencing for Derrick Bernard is set for March 2026.
