A 19-year-old Mt. Vernon man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for a Class X felony charge of armed violence.
A Jefferson County Jury deliberated only 15 minutes when finding Jaylen Smith guilty of the charge on March 1st.
The charge claimed knowingly possession of less than 15 grams of a substance containing cocaine while armed with a Taurus 9mm firearm when arrested by Mt. Vernon police in December of last year. He had also initially been charged with armed violence, manufacturing/delivery of between 1 and 15 grams of cocaine, possession of a stolen firearm and a violation of bail bond before being indicted on the armed violence charge.
A defense motion for a new trial was denied at the start of the sentencing hearing by Judge Jerry Crisel.
