In St. Paul, Minnesota, a judge has decided to keep a former state senator in custody, following attempts by prosecutors to argue against his release due to new allegations of interference with an FBI investigation while incarcerated. The magistrate, Shannon Elkins, ruled that Justin Eichorn, a former Republican legislator, should remain in jail rather than be transferred to a halfway house as initially planned. A further pretrial hearing is set for Wednesday to revisit the matter.
Eichorn, who was arrested as part of a sting operation in Bloomington, has not provided any public statements following his detention. His legal team did not respond to inquiries regarding the case. The former senator is facing charges of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor for prostitution, a serious offense carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years.
According to prosecutors, Eichorn allegedly requested assistance from a close associate to remove a computer and other belongings from his St. Paul apartment, where he resided alone during legislative sessions. Both Eichorn and the associate, known only as Individual A, were reportedly aware that any communication from jail would be recorded.
Eichorn’s Senate profile, which was taken down last week, noted that he is married with four children. Prosecutors expressed concerns over his actions, suggesting a potential effort to mislead the Court while compromising public safety. Eichorn supposedly attempted to have his apartment cleared before law enforcement could investigate further.
When the associate arrived at Eichorn’s apartment on Friday morning, FBI agents had already secured the location as part of their search for evidence. Agents denied her request to take a computer allegedly used for her business purposes. After she left, an agent contacted her for an interview, which she refused.
The search conducted by agents uncovered several items, including $1,000 in cash, a handgun with ammunition, a laptop, an SD memory card, an iPhone, and some of Eichorn’s Senate business cards. Of particular note was the iPhone, which appeared to have been reset to its factory settings, potentially erasing the content. However, the exact timing of this action relative to Eichorn’s arrest remains unclear.
Eichorn’s proposed release to a halfway house included conditions that prohibited firearm possession, yet he allegedly misled a pretrial services officer after his court appearance by claiming no firearms were in his apartment. Prosecutors insist that Eichorn should stay in custody, arguing that his text exchanges with an undercover officer, who was posing as a 17-year-old girl, show his knowledge of soliciting minors for commercial sex.
Upon his arrest, authorities confiscated two cellphones, an unopened condom, and $129 in cash. Prosecutors describe Eichorn as a “seasoned operator” in such crimes, and they worry about the risk of him targeting more minors if released.
Initially elected in 2016, Eichorn formerly described himself as an entrepreneur on his profile. Earlier this month, he gained national attention by co-sponsoring a humorous bill proposing that “Trump derangement syndrome” be classified as a mental disorder.