Holmberg turns himself in

(Mary Steurer -North Dakota Monitor) – Former state senator Ray Holmberg has surrendered himself to the U.S. Marshals Service, the agency confirmed Friday afternoon.

It was not clear where Holmberg will be placed in custody.

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

Holmberg, once one of North Dakota’s most powerful state lawmakers, pleaded guilty in August to one count of traveling abroad with the intent to have sex with adolescents under age 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.

Ordinarily, people convicted of child sex crimes are held in custody while they await sentencing. Hovland allowed Holmberg to remain at home in Grand Forks at the recommendation of both the prosecution and the defense, due to his age and medical issues.

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

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

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

Holmberg’s attorney, Mark Friese, has said that the allegations by the U.S. Probation Office are inaccurate and that Holmberg still faces numerous medical problems that require him to stay out of custody.

Holmberg’s sentencing date has not been set.

The former senator faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a lifetime of supervised release.

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

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