Barry Butzow, a longtime racehorse owner in the Twin Cities, pleaded guilty Monday to fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct after prosecutors said he drugged and sexually assaulted a bartender he had hired to work a private party at his Eden Prairie home in May 2024. Under a plea deal, the 79-year-old received a stayed 364-day jail term, will serve two years of probation, and must register as a predatory offender. Sentencing is scheduled for June 30, and prosecutors said they will ask the court to cap any actual jail time at 90 days.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office confirmed the plea to FOX 9, which reported that Butzow admitted to a single count of fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct as part of the agreement. According to FOX 9, the plea came just as jurors were being prepared for trial in the case.
The criminal complaint details the victim’s account: she was hired to bartend a May 18, 2024 cocktail party at Butzow’s home and returned two days later to help pack up, according to the Star Tribune. She told investigators she lost consciousness after drinking wine and later woke up in a bedroom with Butzow next to her. Hospital staff collected DNA swabs that investigators later matched to Butzow. The Star Tribune reports the woman filed a report with Eden Prairie police on May 22, 2024…