Minneapolis Woman Sentenced in 2020 Carjacking Spree
MINNEAPOLIS -- A Minneapolis woman has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison for participating in multiple carjackings.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says 25-year-old Krisanne Benjamin was sentenced Wednesday to 100 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay more than $13,000 in restitution for her role in a series of carjackings throughout the Twin Cities metro in 2020.
Court records show on August 28th, 2020 Benjamin and co-defendant 25-year-old Jeremiah Ironrope parked their SUV near a car in a Richfield parking lot. Authorities say Ironrope got out of the SUV and approached the driver of the car, carrying a shotgun with a sawed-off barrel, and demanded the keys. Ironrope then drove off in the car and Benjamin followed in the SUV.
Records show the next day, the Minnesota State Patrol used GPS to locate the stolen car with both Benjamin and Ironrope inside. Authorities attempted to make a traffic stop, but the car drove away at a high rate of speed, swerved in and out of traffic, and ran through red lights. Court records show at one point during the chase, Benjamin got out of the car and fled law enforcement on foot.
Officers later found the car partially spray-painted black, unoccupied, and running in Minneapolis. Inside, authorities found bottles of spray paint, a stolen wallet, receipts, and a shotgun shell.
In September 2021, Benjamin pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting carjacking, while Ironrope pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
As part of their plea agreements, Benjamin admitted to participating in two more carjackings in July and August of 2020, while Ironrope admitted to those two and two more in December 2020 in St. Paul and St. Louis Park.
Ironrope’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for April.