Ex-GOP Operative Convicted In Federal Sex Trafficking Case

MINNEAPOLIS – A federal jury on Friday agreed to convict a 32-year-old Minneapolis man of orchestrating a sex trafficking conspiracy involving minor girls, U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger announced.

Former Republican operative Anton J. Lazzaro — also known as Tony Lazzaro — was convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors and five counts of sex trafficking of minors.

Lazzaro’s co-defendant, Gisela Castro Medina, 20, pleaded guilty on Dec. 19, 2022, to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors and one count of obstruction.

Both Lazzaro and Castro Medina will be sentenced at a later date.

In a joint statement, assistant U.S. attorneys Melinda Williams, Laura Provinzino, and Emily Polachek said the case "represents the face of modern-day sex trafficking."

"Today’s guilty verdict recognizes the bravery of the five young victims who were trafficked by Lazzaro," they added. "We are humbled by their courage and inspired by their journeys to regain their power."

Lazzaro conspired with Castro Medina to recruit 15 and 16-year-old girls to have sex with him in exchange for cash and other gifts from May 2020 through December 2020, according to prosecutors.

In May 2020, Castro Medina met Lazzaro through a website called Seeking Arrangements, according to investigators. The "sugar dating" website connects "sugar daddies" with "sugar babies."

During that time, Castro Medina was the chair of the College Republicans at the University of St. Thomas. Lazzaro was a Minnesota Republican Party operative.

After he paid her $600 for sex, Lazzaro directed Castro Medina to find other girls who would have sex with him for money, prosecutors said. He paid Castro Medina more than $50,000 over the course of their illegal business relationship, prosecutors said.

Lazzaro specified to Castro Medina that he was looking for "broken girls" who were young and petite, according to authorities. He sent Ubers to transport the minor girls to his luxury condo in the Hotel Ivy in downtown Minneapolis, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors cited a time when Lazzaro sent a driver to pick up a group of 14 and 15-year-olds from a slumber party in St. Michael.

At his condo, Lazzaro gave girls alcohol, flashed stacks of cash, and offer the girls specific amounts of money for various sex acts, investigators said.

Lazzaro sent the girls home with cash, vapes, alcohol, Plan B, and cell phones, according to prosecutors.

A federal authorities searched Lazzaro's condo in December 2020, he and Castro Medina discussed which girls spoke to law enforcement, authorities said. Castro Medina and Lazzaro subsequently paid off a 15-year-old to prevent her from talking to agents, according to investigators.

Castro Medina picked up the girl in a Mini Cooper and gave her hundreds of dollars in cash, gift cards, vapes, and alcohol, authorities said. She also told the 15-year-old not to text Lazzaro anymore, according to investigators.