Tony Lazzaro Sex Trafficking Accomplice Gisela Castro Medina Pleads Guilty
Gisela Castro Medina, indicted with Minnesota Republican strategist Tony Lazzaro on federal sex trafficking charges, pleaded guilty on Monday and is scheduled to testify during Lazzaro's trial.
According to Fox 9, Castro Medina, 20, allegedly admitted to collaborating with Lazzaro to recruit six minors for prostitution, according to federal authorities.
Florida authorities arrested Castro Medina a few weeks after charging Tony Lazzaro.
According to the prosecution, Castro Medina met Lazzaro on the "sugar daddy" website "Seeking Arrangements," where older men seek sexual connections with younger women in exchange for financial and other benefits.
The criminal complaint alleges that in May 2020, Lazzaro invited Castro Medina and a young victim to his Minneapolis apartment, where he provided them with a drink and paid for sexual acts.
Gisela Castro Medina Earns from Recruiting Prostitutes for Tony Lazzaro
In exchange for recruiting minors to Lazzaro, Castro Medina would allegedly receive a percentage of the money Lazzaro paid for the sex acts.
According to the evidence, he also kept in touch with Castro Medina to find more underage females to have sex with Lazzaro, which she recruits through social media, her university, and her friends.
A press statement from the United States Attorney's Office said that Castro Medina would show Lazzaro images of minor girls for his approval, then contact the girl and send the minor's contact information to Lazzaro, per Yahoo.
Castro Medina allegedly informed the minors that Lazzaro was a wealthy older man who wanted to be their sugar daddy.
Castro Medina admitted to the police that she was aware the victims were teenagers at the time of recruitment.
She also said Lazzaro provided the victims with cash, alcohol, vape cartridges, food, smartphones, luxury handbags, and pay for their hotel accommodations and transportation.
Lazzaro would then pay Castro Medina in cash or through the Venmo app and pay for her rent, utilities, school, car, and travel expenditures.
Gisela Castro Medina Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking Charges
Castro Medina pleaded guilty to charges that carry a maximum sentence of life in prison for conspiracy and up to 25 years for attempting to obstruct the investigation.
Medina's attorneys and the prosecutors will have to agree on how much money she should pay the victims.
Provinzino stated that the details would be sorted out 30 days before the sentence.
The FBI has confiscated several iPhones, a laptop, a 2015 Mini Cooper S car, and $2,000, which Medina has agreed to return.
StarTribune noted that in exchange for her guilty plea, Gisela Castro Medina received $20,000 transferred into her bank account, supervised by her lawyers for possible reparations.
The indictment mentions at least six victims identified as youngsters A through F.
Unless authorized by the U.S. Probation Office, Castro Medina will be prohibited from communicating with any of them while she is in custody or supervised release.
On Monday, Jeffrey Anderson, who represents one of the victims in the federal civil complaint against Tony Lazzaro, told reporters that the plea by Medina brought both relief and grief.
"There is a sense of some relief, but at the same time, there is this sense of confliction because every survivor is still suffering and suffered for years and will continue to for the exploitation of each of them," said Anderson.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Bert Hoover
WATCH: Anton Lazzaro plans to continue fighting sex trafficking charges despite Medina plea - From KARE 11
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