An 81-year-old former North Dakota lawmaker is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty last year to traveling to Europe with the intent to pay for sex with minors.

The new details emerged as prosecutors outlined their reasons for the judge to impose a roughly three-year prison sentence and lifetime supervised release for former state senator Ray Holmberg, 81. He pleaded guilty last year to travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual activity. He faces up to 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and lifetime supervised release.

The new court documents say Holmberg used his positions as a high school guidance counselor and state lawmaker to exploit vulnerable youth and young men for decades, and cite numerous messages the prosecutor said show some of his countless arrangements to pay for sex with young men while traveling, often while on state business trips.

    • Herding Llamas@lemmy.world
      38·
      6 days ago

      I came to the comments for this… I was like “huh… Odd… It doesn’t say that they are a republican. They aren’t a Democrat are they!? Surely if they a Democrat the is story would be everywhere! Can’t be, but better to check and be sure.” haha

    • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
      18·
      6 days ago

      I just did a site search on apnews.com for “ex state senator”. They do typically seem to say, so I don’t think that they avoid listing party affiliation as some kind of practice for retired state senators:

      https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-senator-prison-kelsey-0a4a226939ba039852129184e820b9e9

      Former Tennessee state senator reports to federal prison for campaign finance scheme conviction

      The Republican was ordered to arrive at the prison’s minimum security satellite camp Monday for a 21-month sentence.

      https://apnews.com/article/massachusetts-government-and-politics-ca3093b18dafb986a0d39ac19b1db336

      A former Massachusetts state senator and Republican candidate for Congress has been charged after allegedly stealing a gun from an elderly constituent and misleading investigators about what happened, Attorney General Maura Healey said Friday.

      https://apnews.com/article/sam-mccann-illinois-senator-sentencing-fraud-f98497339277e0a091d85db2db7f3569

      FILE - Republican Illinois State Sen. Sam McCann speaks at the State Capitol on March 5, 2018, in Springfield, Ill. McCann, a former state senator and 2018 candidate for governor, was sentenced Wednesday, July 10, 2024 to 3 1/2 years in federal prison and ordered to pay $684,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to wire fraud, money laundering and tax evasion in misusing campaign funds. (Erin Brown/Chicago Sun-Times via AP, File)

      https://apnews.com/article/andy-sanborn-covid19-fraud-d3854b8f9225bf0372c4ec9d41ec0149

      CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A former New Hampshire state senator accused last year of fraudulently obtaining federal COVID-19 loans and spending the money on luxury cars was charged this week with stealing separate state pandemic relief funds.

      Republican Andy Sanborn, of Bedford, was charged with theft by deception, a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison, the attorney general’s office said Wednesday.

      https://apnews.com/general-news-45df9559ab7b5bcab968c8391c33951f

      CHICAGO (AP) — A former Illinois state senator pleaded not guilty Tuesday to federal charges of lying on personal income tax reports and failing to file tax returns for her lobbying and consulting firm.

      Collins, a Chicago Democrat who left the legislature in 2013, was one of several ex-lawmakers hired by Commonwealth Edison after retiring from public office.

      https://apnews.com/article/dd1f440c59754588b2cfaeb633ca0530

      SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — An ex-California state senator pleaded guilty Wednesday to a racketeering charge in an organized crime and public corruption case centered in San Francisco’s Chinatown.

      The FBI also alleged that Yee, a San Francisco Democrat who was running for secretary of state at the time, conspired to import weapons and ammunition into the U.S.

      EDIT: Oh, as someone else pointed out, they indicated it in OP’s article too, just in the caption. At least one of my above articles mentioned it in the caption too. So probably just a normal article.

    • MagicShel@lemmy.zipEnglish
      11·
      6 days ago

      It’s because he’s from North Dakota, right? RIGHT???

      (No, it’s because he fucks kids.)