Mickey Barreto pleaded guilty to fraud charges after attempting to claim ownership of New York City's iconic New Yorker Hotel using forged documents. The 61-year-old former tenant exploited a city housing law meant for single-room occupants to live rent-free in the Art Deco landmark for years. Prosecutors allege Barreto then uploaded a fake deed to a city website, falsely transferring ownership of the entire 1,000-room building to himself.

He later demanded rent from tenants and attempted to seize the hotel's bank accounts. Barreto was evicted in 2024 and initially deemed unfit for trial before reaching a plea deal. He received a six-month sentence already served plus five years probation.

The property remains owned by the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity, founded by the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon. Barreto maintained he never intended fraud, claiming the judge's possession ruling implicitly granted him the whole building.