Former GOP operative Anton Lazzaro has been found guilty on all charges of sex trafficking underage girls. Lazzaro was charged with seven counts involving "commercial sex acts" with five minors ages 15 and 16 in 2020, when he was 30 years old. Federal prosecutors said Lazzaro paid teenagers for sex with money and gifts. He admitted to having sex with them, but denied recruiting them. Lazzaro's indictment touched off a political firestorm in the Republican Party of Minnesota.
Anton Lazzaro, a former Minnesota Republican political operative and donor, has been found guilty of sex trafficking five girls aged 15 and 16. Lazzaro, who met his co-defendant Gisela Castro Medina on SeekingArrangement, a site that connects generally wealthy men with younger partners, was accused of paying her to find other sex partners for him, including the five alleged victims who testified against him. Lazzaro faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years.
Anton “Tony” Lazzaro, a former GOP donor and strategist, has been found guilty on all counts in a federal sex trafficking trial. Lazzaro used his wealth and political status to lure minor girls to his luxury condo in downtown Minneapolis, where he offered them cash in exchange for sex. He admitted to having sex with five minor girls identified as victims in the indictment but denied paying them for sex. Lazzaro’s case sent shockwaves through the Minnesota Republican Party, particularly due to his alleged ties to then-Chair Jennifer Carnahan.
