A man who succeeded in using a New York City housing law to live rent-free in an iconic hotel has been charged with fraud after he claimed to own it.

For five years, a New York City man managed to live rent-free in a landmark Manhattan hotel by exploiting an obscure local housing law.

But prosecutors this week said Mickey Barreto went too far when he filed paperwork claiming ownership of the entire New Yorker Hotel building — and tried to charge another tenant rent.

On Wednesday, he was arrested and charged with filing false property records. But Barreto, 48, says he was surprised when police showed up at his boyfriend’s apartment with guns and bullet-proof shields. As far as he is concerned, it should be a civil case, not a criminal one.

  • Th4tGuyII@kbin.social
    1241·
    10 months ago

    Imagine completely legally swindling your way into living rent free in one of New York’s most prestigious hotels only to completely fuck it up by trying to fraudulently claim you own the building

    • Buddahriffic@lemmy.world
      17·
      10 months ago

      Went from a “nice, fuck those landlords!” to a “ah fucker is just trying to become another landlord”.

      While I think police acting like this are way more intense than necessary, I’m not upset with them over this instance.

    • JoBo
      121·
      10 months ago

      He’s trying to fuck up the Moonies. He may have just bitten off more than he can chew this time.

    • Zorg@lemmings.world
      613·
      10 months ago

      It’s all that warrior training bullshit. De-escalation is not prioritized, instead they are told anyone might be out to kill them, so they have to be ready to murder them first.

    • xapr [he/him]@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
      4·
      10 months ago

      Did you see the body cam video released a couple of days ago of the Florida cop who went completely berserk when he heard an acorn hit his car? Definitely overly dramatic…

  • ki77erb@lemmy.world
    26·
    10 months ago

    “I never intended to commit any fraud. I don’t believe I ever committed any fraud,”

    The lie detector test determined… that was a lie.

  • Crikeste@lemm.ee
    23·
    10 months ago

    This sounds far too much like George Santos for it to not be George Santos.

  • OldWoodFrame@lemm.ee
    7·
    10 months ago

    I won the appeal,” Barreto said, adding that at a crucial point in the case, lawyers for the building’s owners didn’t show up, allowing him to win by default.

    The judge ordered the hotel to give Barreto a key. He said he lived there until July 2023 without paying any rent because the building’s owners never wanted to negotiate a lease with him, but they couldn’t kick him out

    Hard to feel sympathy for the owners when this is their approach. He paid $200 for the room the first night, seems like they could have just charged $200/night in perpetuity and he’d eventually leave because that’s $6k/mo. They just didn’t care enough to bother.