A judge in Minnesota has decided that a former state senator, who was arrested for allegedly soliciting a minor for prostitution and obstructing an FBI investigation, can be released to a halfway house while awaiting trial. U.S. Magistrate Judge Shannon Elkins ruled on Wednesday that there is no threat to the community posed by Justin Eichorn, a Republican, and that there were valid reasons for his actions that federal prosecutors argued warranted his detention. However, she determined that there was enough evidence to proceed to trial, with Eichorn not entering a plea during the recent hearing.
The 40-year-old from Grand Rapids was taken into custody in Bloomington on March 17 after reportedly communicating with an undercover officer who pretended to be a 17-year-old girl, arranging a meeting for paid sex, according to court documents. Eichorn faces charges of attempted enticement of a minor for prostitution, a felony with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, and he resigned from the Senate on March 20.
Federal prosecutors had moved to block his scheduled release to the halfway house on Tuesday, citing allegations that he tried to orchestrate the retrieval of items from his apartment by a known associate, identified as Individual A, while in jail. The defense revealed that Individual A is Eichorn’s wife, and argued that she needed the computer mentioned by prosecutors for their apartment rental business, not to destroy evidence.
During a search of Eichorn’s apartment, FBI agents found cash, a handgun, ammunition, electronic devices, and his Senate business cards. They also discovered that the iPhone recovered from the apartment had been reset to its factory settings. The defense provided a password for the computer, but agents were working to access encrypted data.
The prosecution claimed that Eichorn was dishonest about firearms in his possession, while the defense maintained that he had the gun due to receiving threats related to a bill he sponsored. Eichorn’s attorney, Charles Hawkins, declined to comment further after the hearing, stating that he planned to personally escort Eichorn to the halfway house.
Duluth and Eichorn chose not to address reporters upon exiting the courthouse. Governor Tim Walz has scheduled a special election for Tuesday, April 29, to fill the vacant seat and have a new senator in place for the remaining weeks of the legislative session. Primary elections are set for Tuesday, April 15. The district, spanning from Brainerd to Grand Rapids in northern Minnesota, leans heavily Republican. Despite the results, Senate Democrats are expected to maintain a slight majority.
