JACKSON, Miss. — Shonta Richmond, charged with robbing a Jackson bank, faces trial next month for a deadly DUI crash that claimed a young woman’s life.
According to court documents, Richmond has a history of DUI convictions, with two in Jackson and one in Byram over the past 20 years. He allegedly entered the Cadence Bank on Canton Mart Road, armed with a gun and a shirt covering his head, earlier this month.
Richmond is scheduled to go to trial on Sept. 1 for a two-count aggravated DUI indictment. This indictment stems from a 2022 accident where Richmond, reportedly 2.5 times over the 0.08 legal blood alcohol limit, ran a red light and collided with a Nissan Altima driven by 18-year-old Shamerria Smith. Smith was killed at the intersection of Terry Road and Dona Avenue, just days before her 19th birthday.
“The defendant showed extreme indifference to the value of human life,” states the indictment against Richmond. Given his pending bank robbery case, Richmond’s attorney has suggested the trial date might need to be postponed. Richmond has been assigned a bond of $1 million for the robbery charge.