A GOP strategist was arrested on 10 felony counts of underage sex trafficking, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice
The Daily Beast first reported the news, and the FBI confirmed Anton Lazzaro's arrest in Minneapolis on Thursday morning. A 10-count indictment against him was unsealed in federal court in the afternoon.
The indictment said Lazzaro had been charged 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 of justice. Another person was also listed in the indictment, but their name was redacted in the filing.
The Justice Department said that Lazzaro "conspired with others to recruit and solicit six minor victims to engage in commercial sex acts" from May 2020 through December. The indictment said Lazzaro also "knowingly and intentionally" obstructed justice from July 2020 through March of this year in connection with his alleged sex trafficking of minors.
The charging document said the 10 counts against Lazzaro require him to forfeit his apartment in downtown Minneapolis, his Ferrari, more than $370,000 that was seized from his apartment, and 38 electronic devices, including smartphones, laptops, tablets, thumb drives, and a GPS tracker.
Lazzaro made an initial appearance in court before Magistrate Judge Becky Thorson and will remain in custody pending a formal detention hearing on August 16, the DOJ said.
Lazzaro's attorney, Zachary Newland, released a statement saying: "It is always unfortunate when the federal government abuses its power. Especially when such abuse is utilized against the innocent. Mr. Lazzaro has been charged with horrible crimes. But they are crimes which he did not commit."
The statement continued: "So, not only has Mr. Lazzaro been falsely accused, but, because of the seriousness of the charges and the overreaching by the government, he, an innocent man, could potentially spend the rest of his life behind bars if convicted on even one count, and each count comes with a 10-year mandatory minimum. Mr. Lazzaro looks forward to clearing his good name and continuing to work for the betterment of his community. Until then, Mr. Lazzaro asks that the public withhold judgment so that the truth can come out."
Lazzaro's LinkedIn said he's the CEO of Gold River Group, a consulting firm in Minneapolis. He is heavily involved in Minnesota Republican politics and founded Big Tent Republicans, a political action committee that describes itself as being "dedicated to broadening the base and appeal of the Republican Party to a new and diverse generation of Americans."
Lazzaro's website said he's appeared on Fox News, Fox radio, the far-right network Newsmax, the Russian state-sponsored outlet RT, and a number of local television and radio networks.