By Dan Colton
for The Beacon

An Elkhart Lake man charged with 16 counts, including stalking, sexual assault and false imprisonment settled several open cases in a plea agreement last week.

Nicholas Rincon, 37, was found guilty due to no contest pleas for battery, felony second-degree recklessly endangering safety and intimidation of a witness. Two of the remaining charges were dropped by prosecutors as part of the plea agreement. The other eleven charges were “dismissed but read in,” meaning a judge may still consider their underlying conduct while determining the length of Rincon’s potential prison term.

Between July 31 and Sept. 30, four cases involving Rincon and four alleged victims were opened. At the time, police used alleged victims’ interviews and cellphone histories to document several years of Rincon’s alleged abusive and threatening criminal behavior.

According to police, one victim said she was followed by Rincon to a social outing and she hid in a boat overnight when he appeared from the bushes.

Another alleged victim told police Rincon appeared in her bedroom one night in 2018 and assaulted her, according to court records. The alleged victim also told police he threatened to release damaging information on her if an injunction order wasn’t dropped and allegedly instructed other witnesses to refrain from testifying against him in court.

Rincon left jail in November after posting $10,000 bond. He was initially held on a higher bond after being first charged with stalking, burglary and battery accusations in July.

Rincon faces up to 11½ years imprisonment and $45,000 in fines.

Those penalties may be increased because Rincon is a repeat criminal offender.