A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to more than 15 years in prison for his role in a string of violent carjackings throughout the Twin Cities.

Jeremiah Lee Ironrope, 25, was sentenced to 184 months in prison and three years of supervised release.

He was also ordered to pay $49,213 in restitution for his role in the incidents, which spanned from August to December of 2020.

According to court documents, on Aug. 28, 2020, Ironrope and his co-defendant Krisanne Marie Benjamin, 26, drove a maroon SUV to a parking lot in Richfield, where they parked near a 2017 Audi.

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Ironrope approached the driver of the Audi and pointed a Remington 870 12-gauge shotgun with a sawed-off barrel at the driver and demanded the car keys. Benjamin allegedly kept watch from the maroon SUV as Ironrope started the Audi and drove away. Benjamin then followed in the maroon SUV.

In the early morning hours of Aug. 29, 2020, the Minnesota State Patrol used GPS data to track and locate the stolen Audi, which was driven by Ironrope and occupied by Benjamin.

Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but Ironrope sped off while cutting across multiple lanes of traffic, swerving between cars and driving through red lights. During the flee from officers Aug. 29, Benjamin got out of the vehicle and fled on foot while Ironrope continued fleeing in the Audi. Law enforcement later found the vehicle running and unoccupied in Minneapolis.

The stolen vehicle had been partially spray-painted black. Inside, officers found a stolen wallet, bottles of spray paint, a hat, gloves, receipts and a used 12-gauge shotgun shell under the driver's seat.

On Sept. 9, 2021, 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. On Sept. 7, 2021, co-defendant Benjamin pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting carjacking.

As part of their guilty pleas, Ironrope and Benjamin admitted to two additional carjackings that occurred on July 26, 2020, in Maple Grove and Aug. 7, 2020, in Saint Paul. In both instances, the defendants physically assaulted the victims before stealing their vehicles. Ironrope also admitted to two Dec. 2020 carjackings occurring in St. Louis Park and Saint Paul. In both of those instances, he pointed a handgun at the victims before stealing their vehicles.

“This disturbing wave of carjackings throughout the Twin Cities is eroding our overall sense of safety and security,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger in a media release. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is working in close coordination with all levels of law enforcement to bring this trend to an end.”

The case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and police departments in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Maple Grove, Richfield, Edina, Roseville and the State Patrol.

“Carjacking is a borderless, flagrant crime that can affect anyone at any time. These violent carjackings terrorized the Twin Cities and instilled fear in our communities,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Paul. “Today’s sentencing underscores that those who commit these senseless acts of violence will face significant penalties for their actions. The FBI is committed to our ongoing work with our law enforcement partners to take these criminals off the streets.”

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