COLORADO SPRINGS — One woman has pleaded guilty to several charges related to the 'hate crime hoax' that occurred during the 2023 April mayoral race in Colorado Springs.
Following the election, on April 23, 2023, a video was emailed to broadcast stations showcasing a racial slur written on a burning cross in front of one of Mayor Yemi Mobolade's campaign signs.
WATCH: Three Colorado Springs people facing federal charges over hate crime hoax
Deanna West was one of three people who were indicted for the staging of the hate crime hoax, the two others being Derrick Patrick Bernard, Jr. and Ashley Danielle Blackcloud.
All three of them belonged to a non-profit called Family Flavors the Slide WBN, a "minority-owned independent broadcasting and multi-media organization."
West was originally indicted with "Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud the United States and using instrumentalities of interstate commerce to maliciously convey false information to intimidate someone by means of fire" back on November 6, 2024.
On March 12, 2025, West accepted a plea deal and pleaded guilty to one count of "maliciously conveying false information about a threat by means of fire: a burning cross in front of a campaign sign defaced with a racial slur."
The maximum sentence for West's charge is five years in prison, and/or three years of probation, and/or a maximum fine of $250,000.
West's sentencing hearing will be on June 13, 2025, and the other two people are still awaiting trial.
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