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4w ago

Prosecutors Move to Block Former Minnesota Senator’s Release Following Solicitation Charges

Justin Eichorn faces allegations of obstruction, evidence tampering, and lying to authorities as prosecutors seek to keep him in custody.

The chair for Minnesota state Sen. Justin Eichorn, a Republican from Grand Rapids, sits empty in a Senate hearing room in the State Capitol complex in St. Paul on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, a day after his arrest in Bloomington for allegedly soliciting a minor for prostitution. (AP Photo/Steve Karnowski)
The nameplate stands empty on the desk that belonged to Republican Justin Eichorn, who resigned earlier, Thursday, March 20, 2025, in the Minnesota Senate chamber in the state Capitol in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Steve Karnowski)
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Overview

  • Justin Eichorn, a former Minnesota state senator, was arrested during a sting operation for allegedly soliciting a minor for prostitution and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years if convicted.
  • Federal prosecutors argue Eichorn should remain in custody, citing public safety risks and his alleged attempts to obstruct the investigation from jail.
  • Eichorn allegedly instructed an associate to retrieve items from his apartment, where investigators later found cash, a handgun, a reset iPhone, and other materials.
  • Prosecutors claim Eichorn lied to pretrial services about not having a firearm in his apartment, violating conditions for his potential release to a halfway house.
  • Text messages exchanged with an undercover officer reportedly demonstrate Eichorn's familiarity with soliciting minors for commercial sex, further raising concerns about community safety if he is released.