Former State Sen. Ray Holmberg accused of violating terms of presentence release

FARGO (KVRR/KFGO) – A former North Dakota senator who plans to admit to traveling abroad with plans to sexually abuse a child has repeatedly violated the conditions of his release, according to a new filing in U.S. District Court in Fargo.

Former Sen. Ray Holmberg, a Grand Forks Republican, has accessed the internet multiple times without approval since he was indicted in October, according to the U.S. Pretrial Services report filed Friday, Aug. 2.

The filing also alleges he drank alcohol in May, left his home without Pretrial Services approval, and frequented “Romantix, an adult novelty store,” all in violation of his release conditions, the report said. “Due to the statutory mandate of detention, respectfully, the defendant is not viewed as a suitable candidate for self-surrender,” U.S. Pretrial Services Officer Christine Argall wrote in the report.

Holmberg, who is 80, agreed in mid-June to plead guilty to traveling to the Czech Republic over a number of years to have sex with minors. The charges say the activity took place between June 2011 and Nov. 2016. A plea hearing is scheduled in U.S. District Court on Thursday.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is expected to seek more than three years in prison, according to the previously filed plea agreement. A presentence investigation is likely to take some time and the actual sentencing will come at a later time.