ST PAUL, Minnesota — A former Minnesota state senator arrested in a police sting pleaded not guilty Monday to a federal charge of attempting to entice a minor into prostitution.
Justin Eichorn entered his plea during a brief appearance before Magistrate Judge Shannon Elkins. The judge granted his request for more time for his attorneys to review the evidence, so a trial originally scheduled for June 9 will be rescheduled.
The 40-year-old Republican from Grand Rapids was arrested in Bloomington on March 17 after exchanging text messages with an undercover officer who posed as a 17-year-old girl and arranging a meetup for sex for money, according to court documents. Federal prosecutors took over the case.
Eichorn was released to a halfway house in Duluth on March 26th. A grand jury returned a felony indictment on April 1. The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years.
Eichorn resigned from the Senate on March 20. A special election to fill his seat is scheduled for next Tuesday, April 29, between Republican Keri Heintzeman and Democrat Denise Slipy.
