What did Mickey Barreto plead guilty to regarding the New Yorker Hotel?

Mickey Barreto pleaded guilty to fraud for attempting to claim ownership of the New Yorker Hotel by forging property records.

How did Mickey Barreto live rent-free in the New Yorker Hotel?

Barreto exploited an obscure city housing law for single-room occupants in older buildings to gain possession of his room and live there without paying rent.

What was the outcome of Mickey Barreto's fraud attempt on the New Yorker Hotel?

Barreto was evicted from the hotel in 2024, pleaded guilty to fraud, and was sentenced to six months in jail, having already served that time.

Home / Crime and Justice / NYC man's hotel scam ends in fraud plea

NYC man's hotel scam ends in fraud plea

19 Feb

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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.