COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KXRM) — One of many three individuals who had been indicted of a hate crime hoax that occurred in the course of the 2023 Colorado Springs mayoral runoff election pleaded responsible.
On Tuesday, Deanna West, generally known as “Important Sweetz” and “Sage West,” took a plea settlement the place she pleaded responsible to 1 depend of maliciously conveying false details about a risk by way of hearth — a burning cross in entrance of a marketing campaign signal defaced with a racial slur.
In April 2023, the three suspects allegedly labored collectively to stage a racially motivated crime wherein one in every of Yemi Mobolade’s marketing campaign indicators was spray painted in purple with a racial slur and a cross lit on hearth in entrance of it. The three then allegedly unfold false details about the occasion via an e-mail from an nameless supply to numerous information and civic organizations.
In accordance with courtroom paperwork, the utmost sentence for a violation of that is not more than 5 years imprisonment, not more than three years supervised launch, nor greater than a fantastic of $250,000, a $100 necessary sufferer’s fund evaluation price, and restitution in an quantity to be decided at sentencing.
West might be sentenced on June 13. The opposite two defendants, Derrick Bernard Jr. and Ashley Blackcloud, are awaiting trial.
