MT. VERNON — A 19-year-old Mt. Vernon man was charged Wednesday in Jefferson County Court with attempted armed home invasion as part of ongoing plea negotiations in a murder case.

Lekedrion Russell was arrested in February and indicted along with seven others in the alleged January 20, armed robbery and murder of 26-year-old Deandray Jackson.

Russell has remained in the Jefferson County Jail since his arrest, with bail set at $3 million. He was already charged with Class 2 and Class 3 felony counts of robbery and two counts first-degree murder.

According to Jefferson County State’s Attorney Sean Featherstun, Russell was scheduled to enter a plea Wednesday and the Class 1 felony attempted home invasion charge was filed in anticipation of that plea. However, Russell’s defense attorney was unable to attend the hearing and it’s now scheduled for Tuesday, October 11 at 9:30 a.m. A Class 1 felony is punishable by between 4 and 15 years in prison.

The latest charge alleges that earlier in the day of Jackson’s shooting death, Russell was involved in a plan to enter a residence where Jackson had been staying and take the decedent’s property, but backed out at the last minute.