Former North Dakota state Senator Ray Holmberg was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on Wednesday after pleading guilty to traveling with the intent to engage in illegal sexual conduct.
Holmberg, 81, served as a Republican state senator for 45 years. His sentence, which exceeds the length recommended by federal guidelines, was handed down by U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland.
Judge Hovland described Holmberg’s actions as “egregious and despicable,” adding that a guideline sentence of more than three years was insufficient.
“From my perspective, this was not an isolated case and this is not a victimless crime,” Hovland said, according to the North Dakota Monitor. “It displays a pattern of very vile, sickening criminal behavior.”
In addition to his prison sentence, Holmberg will be required to register as a sex offender.
Holmberg’s attorney had requested that his client serve no additional prison time, arguing that Holmberg’s age and health conditions made time already served in jail and home confinement a more appropriate punishment.
Federal prosecutors, however, described Holmberg’s conduct as part of a broader pattern of exploiting young boys and men. Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl argued that Holmberg used his position of power to carry out the illegal activity and should face prison time for his actions.
Holmberg was accused of traveling to Prague in the Czech Republic 14 times between 2011 and 2021, where he allegedly paid for sex with underage boys. In exchange for Holmberg’s guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to dismiss a separate charge of receiving and attempting to receive child pornography.
Holmberg’s name surfaced during the investigation into Nicholas Morgan-Derosier, a Grand Forks man who was sentenced in May to 40 years in prison on child pornography charges.
Holmberg, who held prominent roles in the state legislature, including chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, resigned from his position in 2022. He was indicted on federal charges in October 2023. He has been held in a Minnesota jail since November, awaiting sentencing, according to the report.
