A former North Dakota lawmaker, once one of the most powerful members of the legislature, will plead guilty on a charge that he traveled to the Czech Republic to have sex with minors.
Former Republican State Sen. Ray Holmberg was accused of flying to Prague on several occasions between June 2011 to November 2016. In a plea agreement filed on Monday, 80-year-old Holmberg acknowledge he took the trips so he could engage in commercial sex with adolescents under age 18.
In exchange for his pleading guilty to a charge of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual activity, prosecutors said they would recommend Holmberg’s punishment fall on the less severe side of the sentencing guidelines.
The former lawmaker will likely face three to four years behind bars, according to his attorney, Mark Friese. He’ll also have to register as a sex offender, per the plea deal.
Holmberg had faced maximum penalties including 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and lifetime supervised release, according to the documents.
Holmberg served in the legislature from 1976 until mid-2022, during which time he chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee. That year, Holmberg announced he would not seek reelection before he ultimately resigned.
He was arrested in October of last year and indicted in November.
Holmberg had been set to go to trial in Fargo in September. The date for his sentencing hearing has not yet been set.
With News Wire Services
