Anton Lazzaro sentenced to 21 years in prison for sex trafficking underage girls
MINNEAPOLIS -- Anton Lazzaro, a former GOP donor in Minnesota, has been sentenced to 21 years in prison in a sex trafficking case.
Lazzaro, 32, was sentenced in federal court in Minneapolis Wednesday morning. He will serve supervised release for five years following his prison sentence, which includes several conditions.
While handing down the sentence, the judge called Lazzaro's crimes "soulless" and "like a sex trafficking assembly line." The judge said Lazzaro only showed remorse for himself and Jeffrey Epstein.
In late March, a jury found Lazzaro guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors and five counts of sex trafficking of minors.
Federal prosecutors said Lazzaro paid teenagers for sex with money and gifts. He admitted to having sex with them, but denied recruiting them.
"Mr. Lazzaro targeted, manipulated, and sexually exploited young and vulnerable girls for his own gain without regard for their age or safety," said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. "Today's sentencing sends a strong message that those who commit such heinous crimes will be held accountable. The FBI prioritizes crimes of victimization and will leave no stone unturned to protect the vulnerable and bring every perpetrator to justice."
Lazzaro showed no remorse and only spoke to defend himself, arguing with the judge on Wednesday.
In a stark contrast, one of the survivors shared the agony she's lived with after he preyed on her.
"My innocence was stolen from the second he opened his apartment door," she said. "He wanted broken girls, but I wasn't broken before he met me. He broke me."
The mother of another survivor told the court how Lazzaro left a trail of devastation.
"You stand up here and you don't even care," she accused him. "You're justifying your actions. You're pathetic. And then you smirk right now."
She went on to say that her daughter "is grieving and wants to die. How dare you."
Lazzaro's indictment touched off a political firestorm in the Republican Party of Minnesota. He had donated roughly $190,000 to Minnesota Republicans.
FBI agents raided Lazzaro's downtown Minneapolis condo in December 2020. Inside his $875,000 place at the luxury Ivy high rise, investigators seized nearly $400,000 in cash, along with foreign currency and bars believed to be gold. They found a GPS tracker, thumb drives, laptops, tablets, and more than a dozen cell phones. Agents also confiscated his Ferrari.
By all accounts, Lazzaro was living large until the raid, which was linked to allegations of sex trafficking minors. His social media shows pictures with high-ranking politicians. Flashy cars, cash and private planes are splashed across his accounts.
Lazzaro's co-defendant, 21-year-old Gisela Castro Medina, pleaded guilty last December to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors and one count of obstruction. She has yet to be sentenced.
The judge plans to take up restitution on another date. He ruled Lazzaro's downtown luxury condo forfeited, along with the Blackberry.