I guess such things are non-partisan--despite the fringies trying to say it's all abut the Left, eh?
The leader of a college Republican chapter in Minnesota and a wealthy, well-connected Republican Party donor are both under arrest on suspected sex trafficking charges, jail records, GOP statements, and news reports all indicate.
© Provided by Law & Crime College Republican leader Gisela Castro Medina appears in an Okaloosa County, Fla. jail mugshot. Republican operative and donor Anton Lazzaro appears in a Sherburne County, Minn. mugshot.
College Republican leader Gisela Castro Medina appears in an Okaloosa County, Fla. jail mugshot. Republican operative and donor Anton Lazzaro appears in a Sherburne County, Minn. mugshot.
The leader of a college Republican chapter in Minnesota and a wealthy, well-connected Republican Party donor are both under arrest on suspected sex trafficking charges, jail records, GOP statements, and news reports all indicate.
Gisela Castro Medina, 19, of St. Paul, Minn., was booked into the Okaloosa County Jail in Florida at 9:48 p.m. on Thursday and departed at 2:14 p.m. on Friday, jail records show. She was picked up as a fugitive from justice (“FFJ”) at the request of the FBI in Minneapolis. Her alleged crimes are listed in Okaloosa County jail records as conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors, sex trafficking of a minor, sex trafficking, and obstruction.
Okaloosa County is about 50 minutes northeast of Pensacola in the Florida panhandle.
Minneapolis television station WCCO reports that Castro Medina is the “recently elected” chair of University of St. Thomas College Republicans.
The television station said Castro Medina was taken into federal custody from the Okaloosa County jail in Florida, but it also indicated — and jail records also say — she was sent to the Santa Rosa County Jail in Florida. That facility is also northeast of Pensacola. Santa Rosa County records suggest Castro Medina is being held for the U.S. Marshals Service and remains in custody as of the time of this report.
College Republican Leader Gisela Castro Medina appears in a Santa Rosa County, Fla. Jail Mugshot.
A leader with the Minnesota College Republicans, a governing group of young political activists in the North Star State, released the following statement:
“The indictment charges Lazzaro with one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors, five counts of sex trafficking of minors, one count of attempted sex trafficking of a minor, and three counts of obstruction,” prosecutors continued. “Based on the evidence obtained in this investigation, authorities believe there may be additional victims of the alleged conduct. Anyone with information about this matter is encouraged to call the FBI Minneapolis Division at 763-569-8000.”
Lazzaro’s indictment contains the redacted name of a second defendant. Prosecutors did not concomitantly announce Castro Medina’s arrest along with Lazzaro’s, and no public court record of a federal prosecution against Castro Medina in the District of Minnesota was available as of the time of this writing.
But the Lazzaro indictment does allege that all of the victims are under the age of eighteen.
The indictment further demands the civil forfeiture of real and personal property alleged to be connected to the case. That property includes what’s reported to be a condominium unit in a downtown Minneapolis high-rise; $371,240 in cash seized from that unit; a Ferrari convertible; and well more than a dozen computers, tablets, cell phones, thumb drives, and similar forms electronic storage media and equipment.
WCCO described Lazzaro as “deeply involved” in Minnesota Republican Party politics. Minneapolis NBC affiliate KARE called Lazzaro “a wealthy Minnesota Republican party operative and donor.” Local FOX affiliate KMSP said he had “lived the high life in a $900,000 downtown Minneapolis condo” until a federal raid back in December. Statewide news site “Bring Me the News” described Lazzaro’s alleged largess as well.
Many of the recipients of Lazzaro’s campaign donations — adding up to what WCCO called “tens of thousands of dollars” — have told that television station and a long list of other news organizations they plan to donate the money to charity given the charges against the donor.
The leader of a college Republican chapter in Minnesota and a wealthy, well-connected Republican Party donor are both under arrest on suspected sex trafficking charges, jail records, GOP statements, and news reports all indicate.
College Republican leader Gisela Castro Medina appears in an Okaloosa County, Fla. jail mugshot. Republican operative and donor Anton Lazzaro appears in a Sherburne County, Minn. mugshot.
The leader of a college Republican chapter in Minnesota and a wealthy, well-connected Republican Party donor are both under arrest on suspected sex trafficking charges, jail records, GOP statements, and news reports all indicate.
Gisela Castro Medina, 19, of St. Paul, Minn., was booked into the Okaloosa County Jail in Florida at 9:48 p.m. on Thursday and departed at 2:14 p.m. on Friday, jail records show. She was picked up as a fugitive from justice (“FFJ”) at the request of the FBI in Minneapolis. Her alleged crimes are listed in Okaloosa County jail records as conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors, sex trafficking of a minor, sex trafficking, and obstruction.
Okaloosa County is about 50 minutes northeast of Pensacola in the Florida panhandle.
Minneapolis television station WCCO reports that Castro Medina is the “recently elected” chair of University of St. Thomas College Republicans.
The television station said Castro Medina was taken into federal custody from the Okaloosa County jail in Florida, but it also indicated — and jail records also say — she was sent to the Santa Rosa County Jail in Florida. That facility is also northeast of Pensacola. Santa Rosa County records suggest Castro Medina is being held for the U.S. Marshals Service and remains in custody as of the time of this report.
College Republican Leader Gisela Castro Medina appears in a Santa Rosa County, Fla. Jail Mugshot.
A leader with the Minnesota College Republicans, a governing group of young political activists in the North Star State, released the following statement:
“The indictment charges Lazzaro with one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors, five counts of sex trafficking of minors, one count of attempted sex trafficking of a minor, and three counts of obstruction,” prosecutors continued. “Based on the evidence obtained in this investigation, authorities believe there may be additional victims of the alleged conduct. Anyone with information about this matter is encouraged to call the FBI Minneapolis Division at 763-569-8000.”
Lazzaro’s indictment contains the redacted name of a second defendant. Prosecutors did not concomitantly announce Castro Medina’s arrest along with Lazzaro’s, and no public court record of a federal prosecution against Castro Medina in the District of Minnesota was available as of the time of this writing.
But the Lazzaro indictment does allege that all of the victims are under the age of eighteen.
The indictment further demands the civil forfeiture of real and personal property alleged to be connected to the case. That property includes what’s reported to be a condominium unit in a downtown Minneapolis high-rise; $371,240 in cash seized from that unit; a Ferrari convertible; and well more than a dozen computers, tablets, cell phones, thumb drives, and similar forms electronic storage media and equipment.
WCCO described Lazzaro as “deeply involved” in Minnesota Republican Party politics. Minneapolis NBC affiliate KARE called Lazzaro “a wealthy Minnesota Republican party operative and donor.” Local FOX affiliate KMSP said he had “lived the high life in a $900,000 downtown Minneapolis condo” until a federal raid back in December. Statewide news site “Bring Me the News” described Lazzaro’s alleged largess as well.
Many of the recipients of Lazzaro’s campaign donations — adding up to what WCCO called “tens of thousands of dollars” — have told that television station and a long list of other news organizations they plan to donate the money to charity given the charges against the donor.
