Ashley Blackcloud, one of the three defendants convicted in the 2023 Colorado Springs mayoral runoff election hate crime “hoax,” has filed for an appeal after her sentencing earlier this month.

Blackcloud, 41, and her co-defendant, Derrick Bernard, 36, were both found guilty of one count each of conspiracy and maliciously conveying false information to intimidate another person following a federal jury trial in May 2025.

Blackcloud was sentenced to federal prison last week. U.S. District Court Judge Regina Rodriguez handed down a sentence of one year and one day in federal prison for each of the two guilty counts, to be served concurrently, or at the same time.

Ahead of the hearing, Blackcloud’s defense counsel argued on a motion for her to be acquitted of the charges, or for a new trial to occur based on Bernard’s behavior during trial.

According to the defense, Bernard was going through a “manic episode” during the May jury trial. It was argued that his “last-minute” decision to testify negatively and unfairly impacted Blackcloud’s case.

After over an hour of arguments by both parties, Rodriguez ruled there was no basis for the motion for acquittal and denied ordering a new trial.

An appeal is now underway in the 10th Circuit, filed Thursday, according to court records. Little information is available as of Friday.

The case started in November 2024 when the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Colorado announced that a federal grand jury had indicted the trio for “maliciously conveying false information about a threat made using fire” to draw support for Yemi Mobolade, who became Colorado Springs’ first elected Black mayor after winning a runoff election against Wayne Williams.

Videos and photographs of the early morning incident on April 23, 2023, which included a cross burning and posting a racial slur, were sent in a mass email to media outlets along the Front Range.

A third co-defendant in the case, Deanna West, received probation in September after pleading guilty to the crimes earlier in proceedings and testifying against Bernard and Blackcloud during trial.