Federal investigation into Ray Holmberg’s associates likely over, but state investigation may continue

Ray Holmberg after pleading guilty to travelling overseas to have sexual relations with minors. (Joe Leier/KFGO News)

FARGO (KFGO) – Acting North Dakota U.S. Attorney Jennifer Puhl says she does not anticipate that anyone else will face federal charges related to the investigation into Ray Holmberg.

Puhl said she wasn’t able to speak to the question during the sentencing hearing.

“With the exception of one person there was, there was no evidence, much less sufficient evidence, to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that anybody knew that Mr. Holmberg was traveling to Prague for this purpose, or that they somehow facilitated this,” Puhl said Friday. “There was a group of individuals…that were receiving emails from Mr. Holmerg over the course of many, many years. “These emails reflected what Mr. Holmberg’s interests were.”

Holmberg, a former state senator from Grand Forks, was given a 10-year federal prison sentence this week for his guilty plea to making numerous trips to Europe over several years to have sex with underage boys.

The investigation was primarily conducted by Homeland Security investigators and the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

Attorney General Drew Wrigley, who oversees the BCI, says he does not consider the investigation over.

“This matter for Ray Holmberg has come to a close, he’s been sentenced to 10 years,” Wrigley said Friday. “[But] we don’t forget and un-remember what we’ve learned in this investigation. It’s been years now of trying to get information, we have additional witnesses that that have indicated that they may have a willingness to come forward.”

Puhl says it’s also unlikely that names from the investigation will ever have be released publicly.

“It is my job to follow the federal law and the federal courts have said that this is information that’s not going to be turned over that. That is not going to typically turned over in a FOIA request,” Puhl said.

Because Judge Daniel Hovland sentenced Holmberg to more time than recommended by federal sentencing guidelines, Holmberg has the right to appeal the sentence. Documents and materials from the investigation cannot be released until Holmberg exhausts all his appeals, a process which could take years.