NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A 48-year-old man was indicted for filing false real property records claiming ownership of the New Yorker Hotel between May 2019 and September 2023, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced Wednesday.
Mickey Barreto was charged with 14 counts of offering a false instrument for filing and 10 counts of criminal contempt.
According to court documents, in June 2018, Barreto booked a room at the New Yorker Hotel for one night. The following day, Barreto allegedly requested that the hotel enter into a lease agreement with him for the room pursuant to New York’s rent stabilization law.
When the hotel refused, Barreto left his belongings inside the room and left.
The hotel then removed his belongings, returned them to Barreto, and asked him to leave.
Soon afterward, Barreto filed a lawsuit in housing court claiming he was wrongfully evicted from the hotel. The housing court judge issued an order granting Barreto possession of a particular room at the hotel.