MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Paul lady has pleaded responsible to her position in a intercourse trafficking conspiracy after recruiting six minor victims to have interaction in business intercourse acts, introduced United States Legal professional Andrew M. Luger.
In accordance with courtroom paperwork, from Could 2020 via December 2020, Gisela Castro Medina, 20, conspired with co-defendant Anton Joseph Lazzaro, 32, to recruit and solicit six minor victims to have interaction in business intercourse acts.
In accordance with courtroom paperwork, in Could 2020, Castro Medina met Lazzaro via the In search of Preparations web site, which is named a “sugar daddy” web site. Lazzaro started speaking with Castro Medina and a minor sufferer and invited them to his apartment on the Resort Ivy in Minneapolis. Earlier than arriving on the Resort Ivy, Castro Medina advised Lazzaro that the minor sufferer was solely 16 years outdated. Lazzaro supplied Castro Medina and the minor sufferer with alcohol and paid them $600 for business intercourse acts with him. Lazzaro continued to have interaction in business sexual exercise with the minor sufferer and, on every event, Lazzaro paid her within the type of an envelope of money. Castro Medina took half of every money fee.
In accordance with courtroom paperwork, Castro Medina and Lazzaro continued to speak through Snapchat, WhatsApp, and Sign. Lazzaro directed Castro Medina to make use of WhatsApp and ultimately Sign due to the purposes’ encryption and deletion options. Castro Medina used social media and her faculty, pal, and neighborhood networks to determine different minor ladies for Lazzaro. Castro Medina would present Lazzaro images of minor ladies and if Lazzaro “authorized” Castro Medina would attain out to the minor and supply the minor’s contact info to Lazzaro. Castro Medina advised the minors that Lazzaro was an older man with some huge cash, and that he wished to be a sugar daddy to youthful ladies.
Castro Medina admitted that, on the time of recruitment, she knew that the victims have been minors and that Lazzaro paid the minor victims cash in trade for intercourse acts. Castro Medina additionally admitted that Lazzaro supplied the minor victims with alcohol, vaping cartridges, meals, smartphones, high-end purses, rooms within the Resort Ivy, and transportation. For her position of figuring out, recruiting, and introducing minors, Lazzaro compensated Castro Medina with money and Venmo funds, in addition to hire and utility funds for her residence, tuition funds to the College of St. Thomas, automotive funds, journey bills, and different objects.
In accordance with courtroom paperwork, Castro Medina and Lazzaro mentioned which of the minor victims spoke to legislation enforcement following the execution of federal search warrants in December 2020. Castro Medina admitted that in March 2021, she and Lazzaro aided and abetted each other to hinder legislation enforcement by agreeing to repay a 15-year-old sufferer to forestall her from speaking to legislation enforcement about participating in business intercourse with Lazzaro. Castro Medina picked up the minor sufferer at her place of employment, drove the minor sufferer round in her Mini Cooper, and supplied her with a whole lot of {dollars} in money, present playing cards, vapes, and alcohol from Lazzaro. Castro Medina additionally advised the minor sufferer to not textual content Lazzaro anymore.
Castro Medina pleaded responsible at present earlier than Chief Decide Patrick J. Schiltz to at least one depend of conspiracy to commit intercourse trafficking of minors and one depend of obstruction. A sentencing listening to has not but been scheduled.
This case is the results of a joint investigation by the FBI and the Minnesota Human Trafficking Investigators Activity Pressure – led by the Bureau of Prison Apprehension, with help from the Minneapolis Police Division, the West Hennepin Public Security Division, and the Wright County Sheriff’s Workplace.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela M. Munoz, Emily A. Polachek, and Laura M. Provinzino are prosecuting the case.