Former North Dakota lawmaker seeks custody in child sex abuse case

FARGO, N.D. (NORTH DAKOTA MONITOR) – Former state senator Ray Holmberg turned himself in to the U.S. Marshals Service, the agency confirmed Friday afternoon. North Dakota Monitor.

It is not yet clear where Holmberg will be detained.

“No other information will be released,” U.S. Marshal for the North Dakota District Dallas Carlson said in a statement.

Holmberg, once one of North Dakota’s most powerful state legislators, pleaded guilty in August to charges of traveling abroad for the purpose of having sex with teenagers under 18.

U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland on Tuesday ordered Holmberg to report to the U.S. Marshals Service by 1 p.m. Friday after U.S. prosecutors asked for a review of the former lawmaker’s post-plea release.

Normally, people convicted of sexual crimes against children are held in custody while awaiting sentencing. Due to his age and medical issues, Hovland allowed Holmberg to stay at his home in Grand Forks on the advice of both the prosecution and the defense.

Holmberg’s release conditions included mandatory location monitoring, no contact with victims or witnesses, limited internet access and no drugs or alcohol, among other conditions.

The U.S. Probation Office said in court filings that Holmberg violated those rules several times, including accessing social media sites without prior approval, frequenting an adult gift store and testing positive for alcohol.

In light of the U.S. Parole Office’s findings, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Puhl asked Hovland earlier this month to review Holmberg’s release. The prosecution also claimed that the medical issues Holmberg was dealing with at the time of the agreement had improved.

Holmberg’s attorney, Mark Friese, said the U.S. Parole Office’s allegations are unfounded and that Holmberg still faces multiple medical issues that require him to stay out of custody.

Holmberg’s sentencing date has not yet been set.

The former senator faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and life probation.

In Holmberg’s plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to seek a sentence at the lower end of federal sentencing guidelines. Friese has previously said sentencing guidelines call for a sentence of three to four years in prison, which could vary depending on other factors determined by the court.

Holmberg resigned his seat in the North Dakota Senate in 2022 after federal investigators searched his home in late 2021.

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