How this headline may connect to industries in North Dakota. Technical scores are below — click any ? for what a metric means.
FARGO — A 35-year-old Fargo man who prosecutors said has been in trouble with the law nearly his entire adult life has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in Cass County for two violent sexual assaults of his ex-girlfriend in 2022.After a February trial, a jury found Robin Heinonen guilty of multiple charges, including two double-A felony charges of gross sexual imposition.Then, in early June, Judge Scott Diamond adopted the recommendation of Assistant Cass County Prosecutor Renata Selzer in handing down the sentence, which was based on the violent nature of the crimes, victim impact, Heinonen's extensive criminal history, his significant behavioral issues while behind bars and other factors.ADVERTISEMENT Fargo police began investigating a report of sexual assaults involving Heinonen on Aug.18, 2022, when his ex-girlfriend reported that he had attacked her inside her home after trying to kick down her door at 3:30 a.m.She told investigators it was the second time Heinonen had assaulted her in four days.The two had broken up nearly two years earlier, the woman told officers, in December 2020, after another violent incident for which Heinonen had been arrested.Since that time, the woman had a baby with another man, and Heinonen was upset about it, she said.According to court documents, during the first assault, on Aug.15, 2022, Heinonen threatened the woman with a loaded handgun and threatened to kill her and her dog.He punched her in the head multiple times, sending her to the ground.He then struck her in the stomach, leg and arms until she gave him the password to her phone.After Heinonen went through the woman's phone, he became even more agitated, threatened again to shoot her, then sexually assaulted her, holding her down against her will, court documents said.It wasn't until the woman's eight-month-old baby began to wake up that Heinonen finally left.Then, four days later, Heinonen again showed up at the woman's home, believing there was another man there.He again pointed a gun at the woman and threatened to kill her.He choked her to the point of not being able to breathe before sexually assaulting her again, according to court documents.After the woman reported the assaults, Fargo police put out alerts seeking the public's help in locating him, calling him armed and dangerous.Heinonen fled police four times before he was finally arrested after injuring himself trying to jump off an apartment balcony more than a month later.Prosecutors argued the life with parole sentence was justified in the case.Selzer said Heinonen's "criminal conduct has spanned nearly his entire adult life ...the violent nature of many of his past offenses and the conduct in this case demonstrates he is a danger to others and unable or unwilling to lead a law-abiding life." ADVERTISEMENT While he was in the Cass County Jail awaiting trial and sentencing, Selzer wrote in her sentencing memorandum that Heinonen assaulted and threatened to kill correctional officers multiple times.The victim testified at trial that Heinonen had pointed a gun at her while she was in the shower, fired a gun inside her home and threatened to burn the house down and kill her family."Although (victim's) physical injuries have healed, she may carry the mental and emotional wounds for the rest of her life," Selzer wrote.Diamond adopted the state's recommendation on June 5.When an offender is sentenced to life with parole under North Dakota Century Code, the sentence imposed means the remaining life expectancy, which in Heinonen's case is 45.5 years according to the recognized mortality table.He will not be eligible for parole until 85% of that term has been served, which in this case is just over 38 years.Heinonen will receive credit for nearly four years already served.He was booked into the state penitentiary on June 8.