REGIONAL- Former GOP state Senator Justin Eichorn, of Grand Rapids, was in federal custody early this week following new allegations that he attempted to obstruct justice after his March 17 arrest in Bloomington during a police sting operation. Eichorn, 40, is facing a federal charge of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, after arranging to meet for sex with someone he believed to be a 17-year-old girl, who was in fact an undercover police officer.
The case, initially filed in Hennepin County District Court, was transferred to federal jurisdiction where prosecutors have brought more serious charges carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years. Eichorn, who has represented the Grand Rapids area in the Minnesota Senate since 2016, resigned his seat last Thursday following his first court appearance.
Though U.S. Magistrate Judge Shannon Elkins initially approved Eichorn’s release to a halfway house, federal prosecutors filed a motion on Sunday requesting that the court keep him detained, citing evidence of attempted obstruction.
Prosecutors allege that from jail, Eichorn called a woman identified in court documents only as “Individual A,” in which she indicated she would retrieve a laptop and other items from his St. Paul apartment. The calls were recorded, as jail communications are routinely monitored.
In a March 19 call, Eichorn and the woman discussed the computer cell phones.
Woman: “My big question is (unintelligible) is your computer in your truck?”
Eichorn: “No.”
Eichorn: “They did take both the phones that were in my vehicle. Obviously they – “
Woman: “I know I already, I already, yup, I know.”
Eichorn: “Okay. So, you are on the account for AT&T.”
Woman: “Already taken care of.”
In a March 20 call, they discussed the woman retrieving the computer, in the context of doing work related to the apartment lease.
Eichorn: “You don’t even need – you can just use – if you have your computer, you don’t even need the apartment one. Because it’s all online. And then..”
Woman: “Well there are other, I mean. I still want to go pick it up um. Tomorrow, so I, I have a ride, I have a ride to pick it up and people to be with the kids tomorrow.”
The woman, described as a close associate from Grand Rapids, arrived at the apartment at about 9:50 a.m. on March 21 just as FBI agents were preparing to execute a search warrant. According to court records, she asked whether she could retrieve a computer from the apartment, which she said was used for her business. She was turned away but later contacted by authorities for a voluntary interview, which she declined.
Inside the apartment, agents discovered a bag containing $1,000 in cash, a handgun and ammunition, an SD card, a laptop, and an iPhone that appeared to have been reset to factory settings. The motion to continue Eichorn’s detention expressed concern that the attempted retrieval and possible wiping of digital devices could amount to tampering with evidence.
The discovery of the firearm also contradicted a statement Eichorn allegedly made to authorities that there were no weapons in the apartment – an assertion prosecutors believe was a deliberate lie, and additional justification to file the motion preventing his release to a halfway house.
“Eichorn’s conduct evidences a willingness to conceal material facts from the Court and to do so at the expense of public safety,” prosecutors wrote.
Elkins temporarily stayed Eichorn’s release and scheduled a hearing on Wednesday to receive arguments on the Minnesota U.S. Attorney Office’s motion.
At the time of Eichorn’s arrest, officers also recovered two cellphones, $129 in cash, and an unopened condom from Eichorn’s vehicle. Prosecutors described the former senator’s messages with the undercover officer as indicative of someone experienced in soliciting sex from minors.
Back in Grand Rapids, the fallout from Eichorn’s arrest continued. On Monday, Brittany M. Eichorn filed for divorce in Itasca County. The couple has four children. At Brittany Eichorn’s request, the proceedings have been sealed from public view. Justin Eichorn is listed as representing himself in the matter.
Pending the outcome of Wednesday’s federal hearing, Eichorn remained in custody in the Sherburne County Jail.
UPDATE:  Magistrate Judge Shannon Elkins ordered Wednesday that Eichorn be released to a halfway house in Duluth to await trial. Arguments during the hearing revealed that the woman labeled as  Individual A in the government's filing was in fact Eichorn's wife, Brittany.