ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A former Minnesota state senator who was caught in a police sting operation pleaded not guilty Monday to a federal charge of attempted enticement of a minor for prostitution.
Justin Eichorn entered his plea in a brief appearance before Magistrate Judge Shannon Elkins. The judge granted his request for more time for his attorneys to review the evidence, so a trial that had been scheduled for June 9 will be rescheduled.
The 40-year-old Republican from Grand Rapids was arrested in Bloomington on March 17 after exchanging text messages with an undercover officer who posed as a 17-year-old girl and arranging a meetup for sex for money, according to court documents. Federal prosecutors then took over the case.
Eichorn was released to a halfway house in Duluth on March 26. A grand jury returned a felony indictment April 1. The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years.
Eichorn resigned from the Senate March 20. A special election to fill his seat is set for next Tuesday, April 29, between Republican Keri Heintzeman and Democrat Denise Slipy.
FILE - The nameplate stands empty on the desk that belonged to Republican Justin Eichorn, who resigned earlier, March 20, 2025, in the Minnesota Senate chamber in the state Capitol in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Steve Karnowski, File)
FILE - The chair for Minnesota state Sen. Justin Eichorn, a Republican from Grand Rapids, sits empty in a Senate hearing room in the State Capitol complex in St. Paul on March 18, 2025, a day after his arrest in Bloomington for allegedly soliciting a minor for prostitution. (AP Photo/Steve Karnowski, File)
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Enzo Maresca left his post as Chelsea head coach on Thursday after a reported deterioration in his relationship with the Premier League club’s hierarchy.
The Italian coach was midway through his second season in charge. In his first season, he won the Conference League and Club World Cup.
Last month, Maresca said he had experienced his “worst” 48 hours at Chelsea and expressed his unhappiness at a lack of support at the club, but didn’t go into specific reasons.
Chelsea is in fifth place in the Premier League, but has won just one of its last seven league matches, and has advanced to the English League Cup semifinals, where it will play Arsenal over two legs.
“With key objectives still to play for across four competitions including qualification for Champions League football," Chelsea said in a statement, "Enzo and the club believe a change gives the team the best chance of getting the season back on track.”
Chelsea is coming off a 2-2 home draw against Bournemouth in the league on Tuesday, and next plays second-place Manchester City away on Sunday.
The club said Chelsea's achievements under Maresca “will remain an important part of the club’s recent history, and we thank him for his contributions to the club.”
There was no immediate word on his potential successor, with Chelsea seeking a fifth full-time manager since the takeover of the club by American investors, fronted by Todd Boehly, in May 2022.
In the past 3 1/2 years, Chelsea has spent hundreds of million of pounds (dollars) in what looked from the outside a chaotic bid to sign players to refresh its squad. It now has one of the youngest and most talented squads in the Premier League, with star players including Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez and Estevao, but managers have struggled to get the players to gel as a team after so many changes.
Out of all the managers to have led Chelsea in that period — and they include Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino, the current coaches of England and the United States, respectively — Maresca appeared to have handled the chaos the best.
Yet he reportedly didn't feel appreciated given the tough working conditions and, according to the BBC, recently switched agents. A few weeks ago, media reports in England linked Maresca with a possible move to Man City — where he briefly worked under Pep Guardiola — should Guardiola eventually leave, though Maresca played the reports down.
Chelsea's results have taken a downturn in recent weeks, since a 3-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League in November.
The team's only league win in the past month was a 2-0 over Everton. There have been draws with Arsenal, Newcastle and Bournemouth (twice) and losses to Leeds and Aston Villa.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
FILE - Chelsea's head coach Enzo Maresca reacts during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Atalanta and Chelsea, in Bergamo, Italy, on Dec. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni, File)
FILE - Chelsea's head coach Enzo Maresca sits on a bench ahead of the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Qarabag and Chelsea in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Nov. 5, 2025. (AP Photo, File)
Chelsea's head coach Enzo Maresca, left, gives instructions to Estevao during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Bournemouth in London, England, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
