Appeals court upholds Anton ‘Tony’ Lazzaro’s federal sex trafficking conviction

Anton “Tony” Lazzaro, the political donor and strategist found guilty of sex trafficking minors in Minnesota in 2023, has lost an appeal of his conviction.

The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals issued its ruling on Tuesday, affirming the jury’s verdict, as well as a handful of rulings made by Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz, who presided over the trial.

Lazzaro, dubbed “Minnesota’s Jeffrey Epstein” by federal prosecutors, is currently serving a 21-year sentence at the state’s federal prison in Sandstone.

Prosecutors argued the now-33-year-old used his wealth and political status to lure five minor victims to his condo, where he paid them for sex. He gave them cash, vapes and other items.

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In his appeal, Lazzaro argued that the federal sex trafficking statute that he was charged under was “unconstitutionally vague” and that the trial was “infected with prosecutorial and juror misconduct.”

Lazzaro’s appeal also focused on several rulings from Judge Schiltz, including denying a motion for a mistrial after Lazzaro argued that the prosecutor’s use of the term “underage” to describe the victims prejudiced the jury.

The circuit court judges concluded there was sufficient evidence to support the convictions and that the district court did not err in its rulings.

Daniel Gerdts, Lazzaro’s attorney on the appeal, has yet to return a message seeking comment on the court’s decision.

Lazzaro’s indictment in 2021 rocked the Minnesota Republican party. Lazzaro had donated thousands of dollars in campaign cash to the party and various candidates. The controversy led to the resignation of then-party chair Jennifer Carnahan.