Hecker jailhouse vows broke no laws

Jailed former auto king Denny Hecker won't face prosecution for getting married by phone in February.

The Hopkins City Attorney and Eden Prairie police decided this week to drop the matter after launching an investigation into the nuptials by Hecker and Christi Rowan -- a ceremony in which only the bride was present.

Hopkins City Attorney Wynn Curtiss submitted a report to police Monday saying no laws had been broken. Hecker and Rowan are federal prisoners, serving respective 10-year and 14-month sentences for fraud.

Their marriage came under scrutiny because Hecker wasn't physically present; he was sitting in the Sherburne County jail while his bride and pastor were in the Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Maple Grove. The ceremony took place by speaker phone.

State law says a marriage is only legal when the parties get hitched "in the presence of each other," Curtiss said.

It is unclear if a phone-call wedding fills that requirement, Curtiss said, adding it's never been done in Minnesota and a judge would have to decide it was illegal. Unless that happens, there will be no criminal charges, he said.

Curtiss noted the law also forbids a pastor from performing a wedding he or she believes could be deemed illegal later.

In this case, Hecker's pastor, Peter Geisendorfer-Lindgren, told the Star Tribune and Curtiss that he sought legal advice before conducting the wedding and was told by attorneys that there would be no problem. He performed the ceremony in front of Rowan and two witnesses.

While no crime appears to have been committed, it is still not clear if the marriage is valid. That will require a ruling by a judge, Curtiss said. He added a judge is unlikely to review the question unless someone challenges the marriage in court.

Curtiss and Eden Prairie police were asked to investigate because the Maple Grove Police Department had a conflict of interest. Geisendorfer-Lindgren is on the department's chaplain corps, and some members of the department attend his church.

Hecker was jailed in October for hiding insurance funds from the court and then was sentenced in February to 10 years in federal prison for his role in duping Chrysler Financial and other lenders out of more than $80 million in fleet loans.

Days after Hecker's sentencing, and one day after her wedding, Rowan was arrested for stealing Hecker's gift cards from the custody of the FBI and for withdrawing money from Hecker's bank account in violation of a court order.

She was sentenced last month for obstructing justice and on fraud charges for lying under oath and helping Hecker hide assets from bankruptcy court.

Rowan was jailed in Sherburne County, but is due to be moved to a federal prison soon. Her attorney has requested a minimum security women's prison in Illinois. For the last few weeks, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons has simply listed Rowan's status as "In-Transit." Hecker is in the Federal Prison Camp in Duluth.

Dee DePass • 612-673-7725