MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A former GOP donor has been charged with luring teenage girls with gifts, cash and money in exchange for sex.
A federal jury found Anton “Tony” Lazzaro, 32, guilty of seven counts involving “commercial sex acts” with five girls aged 15 and 16 in 2020, when he was 30 years old. The charges carry a minimum sentence of 10 years with a maximum of life in prison.
The jury will return to court Monday to determine what property the government can seize based on each conviction, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.
Lazzaro, who insists the charges are politically motivated, plans to appeal, a lawyer spokeswoman said in a statement to The Associated Press.
“This unusual application of the federal sex trafficking statute to their activities is extremely broad, combining what might be considered prostitution with federal sex trafficking,” said Stacy Bettison. “He believes he has strong grounds for appeal, and he will work diligently to overturn his conviction. Mr. Lazzaro believes he will be vindicated.
The indictment led to the downfall of Jennifer Carnahan as chairwoman of the Minnesota Republican Party.
Co-accused, 21-year-old Gisela Castro Medina, who previously led the chapter of College Republicans at the University of St. Thomas, pleaded guilty to two counts last year. He testified against Lazzaro.
Prosecutors argued during the trial that Lazzaro entered Medina, who initially paid for sex, to recruit other teenagers – preferably minors – who were white, small, vulnerable or “broken”.
“He wanted sex, and not just any sex,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Melinda Williams said in closing arguments Friday. “He wants sex with little girls under the age of 18. And he has a plan to get it.”
Lazarro’s lawyer, Daniel Gerdts, insisted that the government’s “salacious” prosecution was based on allegations that were “completely baseless”.
“The prosecution clearly did not approve of Mr. Lazzaro’s playboy lifestyle,” Gerdts said. “And frankly, as a father of three daughters, so do I. The opprobrium is well deserved, but that’s not why we’re here.”
Carnahan, widow of US Rep. Jim Hagedorn, resigned a week after allegations against Lazzaro were not closed. He denied knowing about Lazzaro’s crimes, but his arrest sparked outrage among party activists.
Pictures on Lazzaro’s social media accounts show him with prominent Republicans, including former President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence. He gave more than $270,000 to Republican campaigns and political committees over the years.