Home / Crime and Justice / NYC man's hotel scam ends in fraud plea
NYC man's hotel scam ends in fraud plea
19 Feb
Summary
- Man pleaded guilty to fraud for attempting to own the New Yorker Hotel.
- He used an obscure tenant law to live rent-free in the hotel for years.
- Prosecutors stated he forged property records to claim ownership.
A New York City man has admitted to fraud in a plea deal that concludes a lengthy legal dispute over his claims to the New Yorker Hotel. Mickey Barreto pleaded guilty on Wednesday, acknowledging his role in forging property records to assert ownership of the Manhattan landmark.
Barreto's scheme began in 2018 when he rented a room and subsequently invoked a city housing law for single-room occupants. This law, applicable to buildings constructed before 1969, allowed him to demand a lease and eventually gain possession of his room after the hotel failed to send legal representation to a hearing.
Prosecutors stated that Barreto escalated his actions by submitting a fraudulent deed to city authorities, purporting to transfer ownership of the entire hotel to himself. The property is currently owned by the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity.
He further attempted to collect rent from existing tenants and demanded the hotel's bank accounts be transferred to his name. Barreto was ultimately evicted from the premises in 2024 and faced felony fraud charges. Previously deemed unfit to stand trial, he underwent psychiatric treatment.
