The Minnesota woman indicted on federal sex trafficking charges along with Republican strategist and donor Anton “Tony” Lazzaro pleaded guilty Monday.
Gisela Castro Medina, former chair of the Minnesota College Republicans at the University of St. Thomas, is expected to testify at Lazzaro’s trial.
Minnesota College Republicans severed ties with Castro Medina last year after she was arrested in Florida. Lazzaro was charged just weeks before Medina’s arrest.
Castro Medina, 20, pleaded guilty Monday to conspiring with Lazzaro, 32, to recruit and solicit six minors for prostitution, according to federal prosecutors.
gisela castro medina
(FOX 9)
The two met on a website called “Seeking Arrangements,” which is used by men to solicit sex with younger women in exchange for money.
According to the criminal complaint, Lazzaro began talking to Castro Medina and an underage victim at the site before inviting them to his Minneapolis condo in May 2020. At Lazzaro’s residence, he allegedly gave Castro Medina and the victim alcohol. and paid for sexual activity.
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Lazzaro then went on to meet with the victim, and Castro Medina would take a portion of the money Lazzaro paid for the sexual acts as payment for his recruitment.
He also continued to speak with Castro Medina, court documents state. She used social media, college, and friends of hers to recruit other underage girls for Lazzaro to have sex with.
“Castro Medina would show Lazzaro photographs of minor girls and, if Lazzaro ‘approved,’ Castro Medina would contact the minor and provide Lazzaro with the minor’s contact information,” the US Attorney’s Office wrote in a statement from press. “Castro Medina told the minors that Lázaro was an older guy with a lot of money and that he wanted to be a sugar daddy for the younger girls.”
Castro Medina told authorities that he knew at the time of recruitment that the victims were minors. He also said that Lazzaro gave the victims money, alcohol, vape cartridges, food, smartphones, high-end handbags and that he would pay for their hotel rooms and transportation.
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Lazzaro sent Castro Medina payments in cash and Venmo, as well as payments to cover rent and utilities for his apartment, tuition payments, car payments and travel expenses.
According to court documents, Castro Medina admitted that she and Lazzaro in March 2021 aided and abetted each other to obstruct authorities by agreeing to pay a 15-year-old victim in an effort to prevent her from speaking to law enforcement about being paid. for having sex with Lazarus. Castro Medina picked up the victim at her work, gave her hundreds of dollars in cash, gift cards, vaporizers and alcohol provided by Lazzaro. Castro Medina also instructed the victim not to contact Lazzaro again.
Castro Medina pleaded guilty Monday to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors and one count of obstruction.
Lazzaro was charged in August 2021 by the alleged sex trafficking ring between May and December 2020, and is scheduled to go to trial in March. He was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors, five counts of sex trafficking of minors, one count of attempted sex trafficking of a minor, and three counts of obstruction.
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Under his guilty plea, Castro Medina plans to testify for Lazzaro’s prosecution.
