Prosecutors ask court to keep former Minnesota Sen. Justin Eichorn jailed on solicitation charge

Federal prosecutors have asked a court to reconsider its decision to allow former Minnesota Sen. Justin Eichorn to leave jail, citing concerns that the ex-public official lied to authorities after being charged in an underage sex sting.

Eichorn was arrested last week by Bloomington police and charged with attempting to solicit sex from a minor. In court documents filed Sunday, prosecutors said Eichorn was a flight risk and his release would bring danger to the public.

Eichorn, 40, of Grand Rapids, Minn., remained in custody Monday.

“We cannot have these people getting out of jail and continuing to repeat these same crimes,” Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said during a Monday news briefing addressing Eichorn’s arrest during the sting Hodges dubbed “I Can’t Help Myself.”

Thirteen other men were also arrested during the sting, which began earlier this month and was carried out by Bloomington and police from Eden Prairie, Richfield, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Eichorn, who resigned his Senate seat following his arrest, made his first court appearance Thursday. In the days that followed, investigators said they uncovered new information to support their case that Eichorn should remain in custody.

Eichorn on March 11 allegedly responded to an online advertisement for commercial sex placed by undercover officers. Over the next few days, Eichorn continued to interact with decoys posing as a 17-year-old girl.

At one point during the string of text messages, the girl said she was living with her aunt who was away for a week. Eichorn then asked if he could have sex with her in his car, Hodges said.

On March 17, Eichorn agreed to a meeting. Police arrested Eichorn at the designated spot and seized two Apple iPhones, an unopened condom and $129, the criminal complaint said.

Hodges said Bloomington police also seized Eichorn’s Toyota Tundra truck, which was on display at the Monday news conference.

Hodges said detectives were unaware who Eichorn was at the time of his arrest.

“I don’t care what occupation you have, if you come here and mess with kids you are going to jail,” Hodges said.

Based on the language Eichorn used in his messages, Hodges said that “it was indicative that this was not his first time. He wanted to come here and commit a felony.”

In pretrial proceedings, Eichorn told the court that he did not have any firearms in an apartment he rents in St. Paul, the court filing said.

Investigators also learned that Eichorn, from his jail cell, allegedly contacted an unnamed individual to go retrieve a computer from the apartment. FBI agents secured the apartment and did not let the individual in.

Law enforcement executed a search warrant and found $1,000 cash, a handgun with ammunition, a laptop computer, a memory card and an Apple iPhone that appeared to have been reset to factory settings, which can cause content on the phone to be erased, the court filing said.

They also found several of Eichorn’s Senate business cards.

In making their request to keep Eichorn jailed, prosecutors said an unnamed woman traveled from Grand Rapids and arrived at Eichorn’s St. Paul apartment at 10 a.m. the day after his arrest and attempted to clear out the residence before pretrial services or law enforcement could get there.

“Eichorn may be attempting to obstruct the ongoing investigation,” prosecutors argued in their filings.

Investigators also said Eichorn may attempt to victimize other minors in the community if he were set free, the filing said.

“The court should reopen the detention hearing and order Eichorn detained,” the filing said. “Eichorn’s post-arrest conduct, including his lie to pretrial service concerning his possession of a gun make clear that he does not intend to be truthful or respect the legal process.”

Bloomington conducted a similar operation in August. With Bloomington’s 15 hotels and thousands of rooms, Hodges said his department is aggressive in stopping this type of crime. Many cases are often handled at the state level, but Hodges is pushing for more of them, like Eichorn’s, to be handled by federal prosecutors in hopes of shutting down the revolving door of arrests followed by release.

“Don’t come to my city to mess with 17-year-old girls,” Hodges said. “If you mess with kids you are going to jail.”

Eichorn is due to be in court Wednesday.

Gov. Tim Walz is expected Tuesday to announce plans for a special election to fill Eichorn’s seat.