Mickey Barreto resided in the hotel after a 2018 stay, citing housing laws to gain possession of a room
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/the-new-yorker-hotel-01-021926-6823baf7ad0e44219c5f2ef3e263f3c3.jpg "The New Yorker Hotel is illuminated as seen from the EdgeNYC observation deck at Hudson Yards as the sun rises on November 8, 2024, in New York City")
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NEED TO KNOW
- A New York City man pleaded guilty to fraud after attempting to claim ownership of the New Yorker Hotel
- Mickey Barreto admitted in court to using forged documents to try to transfer ownership of the property
- Barreto lived rent-free in the hotel after a 2018 stay, citing housing laws to gain possession of a room
- He was sentenced to six months in prison and five years of probation as part of his plea deal
A New York City man who lived rent-free in the New Yorker Hotel for years and even attempted to claim ownership of the property has pleaded guilty to fraud charges.
Mickey Barreto entered the plea on Wednesday, Feb. 18, in the New York Supreme Criminal Court, according to court records reviewed by PEOPLE. According to the Associated Press, Barreto admitted in court that he attempted to take ownership of the hotel through forged property records.
Barreto says he and his boyfriend paid $200 to rent one of the historic hotel’s rooms back in 2018, per the AP. He then requested a lease, saying that his one-night stay entitled him to protections under a city housing law that applies to single-room occupants of buildings constructed before 1969.
The outlet reports the hotel disputed the claims and Barreto took that case to court. Since the hotel’s owners, the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity, did not send a lawyer to the hearing, the guest was awarded "possession" of the room.
CNMages/Alamy
Manhattan prosecutors claim that at one point during his tenure at the New Yorker, in May 2019, Barreto uploaded fake property documents onto the city’s official registry, including a fake deed “purporting to transfer ownership” of the hotel from the church to himself.
“Barreto then began holding himself out as the owner of the hotel, including demanding rent from one of the hotel’s tenants, registering the hotel under his name… and demanding the hotel’s bank transfer its accounts to him,” the Manhattan District Attorney’s office said in a press release announcing his indictment. They claim Barreto also contacted the hotel’s franchisor, Wyndham, to begin talks to have the franchise transferred to him.
The real hotel owner filed suit against Barreto and was awarded an order forbidding Barreto from making further false filings or holding himself as the owner. The guest was eventually evicted from the property in 2024, per the AP.
In February 2024, Barreto was charged with 24 counts, including felony fraud and criminal contempt. The following October, he was determined unfit to stand trial and was ordered to undergo psychiatric treatment.
Speaking to the AP at the time, Barreto recounted, “It went from being unfriendly, ‘He’s a criminal,’ to oh, they don’t talk about crime anymore. Now the main thing is, like, ‘Oh, poor thing. Finally, we convinced him to go seek treatment.’”
As part of the plea, Barreto was sentenced to six months in prison, which he has already served. He was also ordered five years of probation, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office confirmed to PEOPLE.
PEOPLE has reached out to Brian Hutchinson, Barreto’s Attorney, and the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity for comment.
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According to the hotel’s website, the New Yorker first opened in 1930 after two years of construction. The property closed its doors in 1972 amid financial mismanagement. The Unification Church bought the property and it was once again reopened under a new manager in 1994.
The property has been a notable spot with ties to historical figures such as Nikola Tesla, Barack Obama Sr., and Muhammad Ali; and also served as the site of Hillary Clinton’s concession speech in the 2016 presidential election.