Ex-Sen. Justin Eichorn's release blocked by judge after accusations he attempted to hide evidence
A federal judge in Minnesota has blocked the release of a former state senator accused of soliciting a teenage girl for sex after he allegedly obstructed the investigation by attempting to hide evidence.
In a court order filed Monday, Justin Eichorn's release was stayed pending the outcome of a detention hearing scheduled for Wednesday morning. He was originally scheduled to be released to a halfway house as early as Tuesday.
Eichorn, 40, was arrested in a Bloomington sting operation and later charged in federal court with attempted coercion or enticement of a minor. The Republican from Grand Rapids later resigned.
The judge's decision comes after prosecutors accused Eichorn of attempting to hide evidence at his St. Paul apartment. He faces allegations that he tried to have a laptop removed from the apartment and a phone was found reset to factory default settings. He also allegedly lied about having a firearm in the residence, but a handgun was discovered inside.
Prosecutors moved for the judge to stay Eichorn's release.
"Eichorn's post-arrest conduct, including his lie to pretrial services concerning his possession of a gun, make clear that he does not intend to be truthful or to respect legal process," prosecutors said. "Instead, his conduct strongly suggests a willingness — and actual steps taken — to frustrate the ongoing child-sex investigation into his conduct."
Prosecutors also argued in the motion that a pretrial release for Eichorn "brings with it a real risk that he would attempt to victim other minors in the community."
Eichorn remains in custody.
Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday called a special election for the seat vacated by Eichorn. It's set for late April. Multiple candidates have already announced their intentions to run.
