A man charged with an attempted armed robbery by Lincoln County law enforcement has been transferred to the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections for an alleged probation violation.

David E. Coleman, 36, of 212 Fair St., Hazlehurst, was arrested Friday over what authorities allege to be his role in an attempted robbery of Zetus Automotive foiled by business owner Phillip “Duke” Montgomery.

However, Coleman was on earned release supervision in Copiah County, serving out the remainder of a sentence for a prior armed robbery conviction, said Sheriff Steve Rushing.

“It’s kind of like house arrest, they just don’t wear the ankle bracelet,” Rushing said. “If they pick up another charge, they get their ERS [earned release supervision] revoked.”

His prior robbery conviction was from Copiah County.

For his alleged role in the Thursday robbery attempt, Coleman is charged with armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, burglary of a residence and burglary of a vehicle.

MDOC took Coleman into custody Monday morning, Rushing said.

With his earned release supervision revoked, Coleman will have to serve the remainder of his original sentence in jail if his new charges yield a conviction, plus whatever additional time he may be sentenced to for such a conviction.

Dontrail Smith, 36, of 3121 Bailey Road, Georgetown, remains in jail, charged by authorities in the same Thursday robbery attempt.

Bond has been set at $50,000 for Smith.

Smith is charged with attempted armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery and burglary of a vehicle.

Law enforcement authorities accuse the men of attempting to rob Zetus Automotive at gunpoint until Montgomery scared the men away by knocking equipment over and then producing a shotgun.