MINNEAPOLIS — Editor's note: The video above first aired on KARE 11 on Aug. 9, 2023.
A former friend and confidant of ex-GOP strategist Anton "Tony" Lazzaro was sentenced to three years in federal prison Tuesday for her role in recruiting underage, vulnerable girls to have sex with him.
U.S. District Court Judge Patrick Schlitz levied the sentence against Gisela Castro Medina, who in December of 2022 entered a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors, as well as a second count of obstruction in the sex trafficking investigation. In exchange for her guilty plea, five other counts of sex trafficking of a minor will be dropped against Castro Medina.
Castro Medina's defense team asked Judge Schiltz to sentence her to time already served and supervised release, noting that since her plea the defendant has been active in sex trafficking education, even receiving furlough from confinement in order to give speeches and take part in an out-of-state panel discussion for survivors of sexual abuse. But Schiltz noted that Castro Medina actively obstructed the investigation into the "money and gifts for sex scheme" before she agreed to plead guilty and help prosecutors build their case against Lazzaro.
During Tuesday's sentencing hearing KARE 11's Lou Raguse said Castro Medina gave a tearful apology, telling the courtroom "I'm grateful I got caught," as it allowed her to turn her life around. She thanked both prosecutors and investigators in the case and apologized profusely to the victims who testified during Lazzaro's trial about the devastating effect the scheme had on their lives.
The parents of one of those victims stood up to deliver a victim impact statement and asked the judge to give Castro Medina "significant" prison time. They said their daughter, described in court as Victim A, considered the defendant her best friend and was "betrayed" when Castro Medina introduced the then-teen to Lazzaro. They maintain their daughter was manipulated, and don't believe the defendant has changed.
Castro Medina's defense team told the judge she has been sober for two years, and described a childhood of abuse and neglect at the hands of her parents. They said Castro Medina was drawn to Lazzaro as a "father figure" to replace what she had missed.
Prosecutor Melinda Williams told Judge Schiltz she didn't envy his decision, asking for a sentence of seven years while acknowledging that Castro Medina is "the most cooperative defendant she has encountered."
Investigators said Castro Medina used social media and personal contacts to recruit teens she thought Lazzaro would be interested in and would help arrange encounters with him at his Minneapolis penthouse.
Lazzaro was sentenced in early August to 21 years in federal prison after his conviction on child trafficking charges.
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