Eric Michael Rekofke, age 35, was arrested on September 11, 2020, by the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office on two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of false imprisonment with a deadly weapon, aiming a firearm at another, drawing a deadly weapon in a threatening manner, ex-felon in possession of a firearm and convicted person failure to register.
Rekofke was convicted of a category B felony charge of ex-felon in possession of a firearm and in his sentencing hearing in Sixth Judicial District Court, asked to be given probation as he wants to keep his job and start a nonprofit organization working with businesses to start rooftop gardens in Winnemucca.
Rekofke told Judge Michael Montero in court that he was in the wrong and had a number of errors in judgment in the incident which led to his arrest and charges.
“I was acting like a child and I acknowledge and accept responsibility for that,” said Rekofke. “I have learned from that mistake and it is not a mistake I plan to remake.”
Montero expressed his concern with the incident and all the charges he was arrested for, even though the ultimate conviction was just the one felony charge.
Montero said that when he was arrested, Rekofke possessed a gun that contained a 10mm round in its chamber.
“Children don’t act this way, criminals act this way and I combine that with a history of three felony convictions and one prison sentence; this is very concerning to me,” said Montero.
Rekofke was ordered to nearly a maximum prison sentence of 28-70 months with 20 days credit for time served.
The sentence was suspended and he was placed on 18 months of probation with a condition that he serve 120 days in jail beginning on December 4 and then follow other standard probation conditions after his release.
Rekofke was also ordered to pay a $153 DNA collection and analysis fee, $25 administrative assessment and $250 public defender fee.
