Judge rules to keep Justin Eichorn in custody until pretrial hearing

A federal judge blocked the release of former Minnesota state senator Justin Eichorn who is charged with soliciting a minor amid new allegations from federal prosecutors on Monday March 24th.

Eichorn was previously scheduled to move from custody into a halfway house on Tuesday March 23rd.

In new court filings, federal prosecutors allege Eichorn should not be released due to potential attempted obstruction with the investigation.

Prosecutors alleging Eichorn lied about not having a firearm at his apartment. This stems from phone calls he had with a woman from grand rapids, about retrieving a computer and other items from his St. Paul apartment where he lived during legislative sessions.

When she arrived at the apartment, the FBI was already there preparing a search where they found a handgun, ammunition and a laptop among other things. One of the conditions for Eichorn to be released was that he did not possess firearms.

Prosecutors also alleged that the way Eichorn interacted with the undercover agent suggests that he’s done this before writing that Eichorn’s release would bring a “real risk that he would attempt to victimize other minors.”

U.S. Magistrate Judge Shannon Elkins ruled that Justin Eichorn should remain jailed until the pretrial hearing on Wednesday.

Eichorn’s release will be reexamined at the pretrial hearing.