Show-Me State Times

A man and a woman involved in two armed carjackings in St. Louis, Missouri, have been sentenced to over 11 years in prison. U.S. District Judge John A. Ross sentenced Jermanine Smith, 51, of St. Louis, to 141 months in prison on Thursday. Earlier, Judge Ross had sentenced Bianka North, 29, of Illinois, to 154 months in prison on June 20.

Smith pleaded guilty on March 20, 2025, to one count of carjacking and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. North entered her guilty plea ten days earlier for two counts of carjacking and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Both admitted to stealing a 2006 Pontiac G6 on May 14, 2022, and a 2009 Toyota Scion the following day.

The first incident occurred when the victim was sitting in her G6 at North Riverfront Park in St. Louis. Smith and North arrived in a Dodge Charger; shortly after their arrival, Smith approached the victims asking for help jump-starting the Charger. When the driver and her friend exited their vehicle to assist, North brandished a silver handgun at them and ordered them away from the vehicle before driving off with it while Smith followed in the Charger.

On May 15, 2022, North drove the stolen G6 near South 9th Street just after midnight where she parked next to a Scion XD. She then opened its door and ordered its driver out at gunpoint before fleeing with that vehicle as well—demanding that the victim leave her mobile phone behind too. Subsequently someone attempted using Cash App on this phone transferring $300 towards Smith's account.

The investigation was conducted by both St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department along with Bureau Alcohol Tobacco Firearms Explosives; Assistant U.S Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski prosecuted this case.