Yerkovich Pleads Not Guilty to Felony Robbery

A former University of Wyoming student pleaded not guilty Thursday in District Court to a felony charge stemming from a 2013 robbery of the Laramie K-Mart.

Rock Springs resident Michael Luke Yerkovich, 27, is charged with one count of aggravated robbery and could face 5-25 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted.  Trial is set for April 12-14.

Yerkovich is accused of robbing the K-Mart pharmacy on Feb. 15, 2013.  Court documents say that Yerkovich paced throughout the store nervously for 45-60 minutes before telling the pharmacist that he had a gun and saying “I want all of the oxycodone and roxycodone.”

According to the affidavit, Yerkovich placed a fake pistol from K-Mart’s toy aisle under his jacket to make the pharmacist think he had a gun.

The pharmacist gave Yerkovich a paper bag containing roughly 11 prescription pill bottles full of 767 oxycodone pills with a retail value of $761.85.  Yerkovich fled on foot.

The Laramie Police Department received a tip through Crimestoppers on Oct. 22, 2015, from a confidential source who named Yerkovich as the suspect in the armed robbery.  According to court documents, the confidential source indicated that Yerkovich was the suspect in a similar armed robbery of the Smith’s Grocery Store in Casper on March 25, 2013.

The information led to Yerkovich's arrest in Casper on Nov. 13.