COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – A man found guilty of killing someone in 2019 is one of three suspects in an investigation into a possible hate crime hoax last year.

The United States Attorney’s Office recently dropped charges against three people tied to the burning of a cross in front of a mayoral candidate’s campaign sign that had a racial slur written on it. The video in question appeared to target Mayor Yemi Mobolade who at the time was a candidate running against Wayne Williams in the mayoral race.

Now investigators believe it was staged by Derrick Bernard, Jr., Ashley Blackcloud and Deanna West in an effort to help Mobolade’s campaign.

You can read more about it here.

Blackcloud has already appeared before a judge. West has so far not been found and is considered a fugitive.

Bernard is already in state custody and is expected to be transferred to federal custody, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Until that happens, he’s in the El Paso County Jail after pleading guilty to killing a man in 2019.

Bernard was arrested earlier this year on charges of first degree murder. According to court documents obtained by 11 News, those charges were changed to first-degree murder, and he was sentenced to life in prison last week. His arrest was for Death of William Underwoodan aspiring rapper known as “FYL Jackk.”

Bernard is accused of planning and carrying out the plan to burn a cross, destroy a campaign sign with a racist statement and share a video of it with various news outlets.

According to the indictment, he probably also had contact with the then candidate Yemi Mobolade. The papers say he sent several texts, including one after Mobolade won the re-election, which read “sir… it’s time for all of us, and we got you through it bro.” It was less than a month after the burning cross.

The papers also said Bernard had a five-minute conversation by phone just three days after the incident, but the papers did not share the details of that conversation.

11 News asked Mayor Mobolade what was discussed. We have yet to hear back about that, specifically, but about the incident as a whole, he shared the following statement:

That incident during my campaign led to a very traumatic time for my family, my campaign team and our community. My knowledge and interaction with Bernard was as a local media personality, and I was not aware that he was a suspect in this crime. I appreciate the work of local and federal law enforcement agencies in pursuing justice and sending a message that we will not tolerate such reprehensible behavior.

Although Bernard has been found guilty of murder, he has yet to be found guilty of those charges, which include conspiracy to commit a felony or to defraud the United States and using aids to interstate commerce to knowingly convey false information to intimidate someone with of fire.

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