DENVER • A woman who pleaded guilty in a hate crime “hoax” that made headlines during the 2023 Colorado Springs mayoral runoff election testified Wednesday that she was “only following instructions” from her alleged co-conspirators. 

Co-defendants Derrick Bernard Jr., 35, and Ashley Blackcloud, 40, listened to Deanna West, 38, tell her side of the story for nearly four hours as they continued to fight their charges in trial. West pleaded guilty in March and told the courtroom she wanted to “tell the truth” ahead of her sentencing in September.

In November, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Colorado announced that a federal grand jury indicted the three for “maliciously conveying false information about a threat made by means of fire” to draw support for the eventual mayoral race winner, Yemi Mobolade, who is Colorado Springs’ first elected Black mayor.

The indictment alleged the crew staged a hate crime by defacing one of Mobolade’s campaign signs with a racial slur and placing a small burning cross in front in the early hours of April 23, 2023. Videos and photographs of the incident were sent in a mass email to media outlets along the Front Range, calling the act “disgusting,” and indicating Mobolade’s opponent, Wayne Williams, who is White, could be to blame because he was “pushing hard to win (the) candidacy.”

West testified she met Bernard, who she referred to as “Phoenixx Ugrilla,” in fall 2022. Coming from Texas, West said she had no other place to live and ended up living and working at the radio station Bernard ran. West served as the operations director for the station, “Family Flavors The Slide World Broadcasting Network,” or “The Slide.”

Before she arrived in Colorado, West worked with the Department of Public Safety in Austin, Texas, most recently as a fingerprint analyst. West testified that Bernard was always a little worried, saying he sometimes thought she could be a spy working against him because of her career history.

In the early hours of April 23, 2023, West testified she was woken by Bernard to “handle some business.” West said she didn’t ask any questions at the time for fear Bernard would “cut her off” if she didn’t “follow instructions.” 

West was told to bring her cellphone, which had no service and was dependent on Wi-Fi to function. West testified she was instructed to drive Bernard’s vehicle and follow him and Blackcloud. Video surveillance introduced by the prosecution on Wednesday shows the two cars near the intersection where the “hoax” was staged around 2:37 a.m.

Once the crew reached a parking lot, West said Bernard told her to grab a “bundle of something” that was wrapped in a black blanket from the trunk. Once she grabbed the bundle, she followed Blackcloud while Bernard stayed in the car.

The surveillance video depicts West carrying the bundle across the parking lot at 3:02 a.m.

West said she got separated from Blackcloud at one point, and by the time she reached the staging area, the campaign sign was already defaced with the cross built and placed in front of it. Blackcloud allegedly told West to “have her phone ready.” West testified that she believed her phone was used to record the incident because it had no service and would be difficult to track.

West said Blackcloud then lit the twine on the cross on fire using a lighter borrowed from West. During cross-examination, West testified she never saw Blackcloud use lighter fluid, despite a can of it recovered from inside her residence and gasoline residue found on her clothes.

West testified she acted as an “assistant” in staging the “hoax,” taking directions from Bernard and Blackcloud, whom she called Trinity. During opening arguments, Bernard’s attorney Tyrone Glover claimed Bernard was not at the scene and had no part in planning the incident.

Surveillance video shows the cross going up in flames around 3:20 a.m. The fire appeared to last about 20 seconds.

After the flames burned out, West said she returned to the radio station and went to sleep, unaware of what plans the other two had for the video and photograph taken on her phone.

Later that day, West testified she went to Bernard’s office and questioned him about his plans. Bernard allegedly told her they were going to use the photograph and video to “gain traction in the media.”

Not wanting the mass email to be sent using the radio station’s Wi-Fi, West testified she and Blackcloud drove to a nearby Walmart to draft the email that went out to many local and state media outlets.

The pair conducted some research on hate crimes before Blackcloud spent 20 minutes drafting the email on West’s phone, she testified. West said the address that the email came from was fictitious and created solely for that email.

The email contained several errors, including using the word “jesters” instead of “gestures.” The prosecution grilled West on the false narratives in the email, including the section where the email alleged Williams may be to blame. West said that was a lie and was only said because Williams was White and running against Mobolade.

Mobolade testified on Tuesday that Williams reached out to him shortly after the news broke to ask if he was doing OK.

After the email was sent and West and Blackcloud drove back to the station, West said Bernard told her not to check for responses to the email on the radio station’s network. When West returned to the Walmart the following day to check, there was one response to the email from a Fox31 television reporter asking if they could use the video for broadcast. West responded, giving full permission but asking to remain anonymous.

Over the next few days, the three reposted articles about the “hoax.” A screenshot of one of West’s posts shown in court Wednesday read “This is completely uncalled for … I’m disgusted at this.” When pressed, West testified the words reflected her true feelings about the “hoax.”

On May 25, 2023, Bernard instructed West to “Do what I say frfr” and asked her to go pick up Blackcloud, who had been contacted by law enforcement regarding the hoax.

Two months later, West testified she quit the radio station — which was facing eviction over finances — and soon cut ties with Bernard and Blackcloud.

West admitted that she expected Mobolade to be upset, because “as a Black person” she understood what message the burning cross sent.

During cross-examination, Glover questioned West about the details of her plea agreement. If West had not pleaded guilty, she could be looking at more than a decade behind bars. With her testimony in the trial and admission of guilt, West is expected to receive probation but testified that she was never promised anything by authorities.

Glover went over the three interviews West had with the FBI in which denied involvement and tried to falsely blame the investor in the radio station. West admitted to the lies during the prosecution’s questioning and when pressed by the defense. She said she understood the consequences of lying on the stand, which could include jail time.

When questioned by Blackcloud’s attorney Britt Morton Cobb, West said she always knew the “hoax” was a political stunt and was not meant to cause harm to Mobolade. Despite her lies to federal authorities, West maintained her stance on the intent. 

Mobolade and his wife, Abbey Mobolade, testified earlier this week, often with tears in their eyes. Both said that the incident “felt real to them.”

Wednesday saw several more testimony from FBI officials. Christopher Iber went over the metadata he extracted from the photograph and video of the “hoax” and how he was able to determine the height of the suspects from surveillance videos. 

Cellular analyst Maureen Gibson discussed how looking into cellphone tower “pings” aided in the investigation and led to the arrest of the three named in the indictment. 

Bernard is serving life in prison without chance of parole after he was convicted of ordering the 2019 murder in Colorado Springs of William Underwood, who went by the rapper name “FYL Jackk.”

Aee Shawn Mathews, 26, the accused triggerman, was acquitted of killing Underwood, but found guilty of conspiracy to commit the killing in a trial last month.

Ahead of the hearing Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Regina M. Rodriguez ruled the prosecution can only inquire about Bernard’s criminal history if he decides to testify. However, no details about the specifics of the crimes can be discussed, only that he has a felony conviction that comes with a sentencing range of over 10 years. 

Testimony will resume Thursday morning, with the prosecution expected to rest its case and defense attorneys expected to begin theirs. Closing arguments are expected  Thursday afternoon, Rodriguez said.