MINNEAPOLIS — After Gisela Castro Medina pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and obstruction, it became clear the feds had secured their key witness in their case against former GOP operative Anton Lazzaro. It is expected that Medina will testify in Lazzaro's trial scheduled for March 2023 about her alleged role recruiting teens to have sex with him.
But a spokesperson for Lazzaro said the plea does not change things for him.
"Ms. Medina's plea in no way changes the resolve of Mr. Lazzaro to fight the charges against him. From Day One, he has maintained his innocence of any wrongdoing. Mr. Lazzaro believes he was prosecuted because of his political activity and engagement," spokesperson Stacy Bettison wrote. "Mr. Lazzaro looks forward to the truth coming out at trial."
When Medina was arrested and charged as an accomplice to Lazzaro in an alleged sex trafficking scheme, she was a 19-year-old college student at the University of St. Thomas.
Today, while under close supervision of the criminal justice system, her attorney said she's working on completely turning her life around. She is working, is enrolled for college classes, in therapy for chronic PTSD, and even gave a speech in California on how to prevent sexual abuse.
"She also participated in a discussion on the White House's Task Force's recommendations where a White House representative was present," attorney Elizabeth Duel wrote in a recent court filing.
In a letter sent from the Sherburne County Jail where he's been held the last 16 months, Lazzaro says he is the victim of "selective prosecution."
The Chief Federal Judge last month denied Lazzaro's request to dismiss the case on those grounds. Lazzaro claimed he was being vindictively prosecuted because he was a "vocal Republican criticizing the DOJ" and because the government wanted to seize his many valuable assets such as a Ferrari.
Lazzaro is accused of giving money and expensive gifts to girls as young as 16 in exchange for sex. The case is different than many other sex trafficking cases as there are no allegations Lazzaro was trafficking the girls to others.
In his letter, Lazzaro claims he had consensual relationships with the alleged victims – which appears to be his defense going into his March trial.
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