Man Claimed He Owned New Yorker Hotel, Demanded Rent From Tenants: DA

MIDTOWN, NY — A man was indicted on multiple charges this week after Manhattan's top prosecutor said he filed false property records claiming he owned Midtown's iconic New Yorker hotel and demanded its tenants pay him rent.

Mickey Barreto, 48, was indicted by the New York State Supreme Court with 14 counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree and 10 counts of second-degree criminal contempt after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said he attempted to claim ownership of the New Yorker hotel multiple times in court between May 2019 and September 2023.

"Mickey Barreto repeatedly and fraudulently claimed ownership of one of the City’s most iconic landmarks," Bragg said in a statement. "We will not tolerate manipulation of our city’s property records by those who seek to scam the system for personal gain."

According to court documents, in June 2018, Barreto booked a room at the New Yorker for one night. The following day, prosecutors said he demanded the hotel enter into a lease agreement with him per New York's rent stabilization law.

When the hotel refused, prosecutors said Barreto left his belongings inside the hotel room and left. According to court documents, the hotel removed his things, returned them to Barreto, and asked him to leave.

Soon after, prosecutors said Barreto filed a lawsuit in court claiming he was wrongfully evicted from the hotel and a housing court judge issued an order granting Barreto possession of a room at the hotel.

About a year later, prosecutors said Barreto uploaded fake property documents onto the New York City Department of Finance’s Automated City Register Information System, including a fraudulent deed claiming to transfer ownership of the New Yorker Hotel from a religious organization called the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (HSA) to Barreto.

According to court documents, Barreto then claimed he owned the hotel and demanded rent from one of the hotel's tenants. He also registered the hotel under his name with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection for water and sewage payments and demanded the hotel’s bank transfer its accounts to him, prosecutors said.

According to prosecutors, Barreto instructed HSA to vacate the hotel and demanded they begin sending any tenant’s rent payments to him. Barreto also contacted Wyndham, the hotel’s franchisor, and began talks to have the franchise transferred to him, court documents said.

According to prosecutors, the hotel's real owner filed a lawsuit against Barreto in New York County Supreme Court and successfully obtained an order forbidding him from making further false filings or claiming to be the hotel owner. Barreto unsuccessfully appealed the decision and continued claiming he owned the building.

In April and September 2023, prosecutors said Barreto filed additional false documents in violation of the court's order, including another fraudulent deed claiming to transfer ownership of the hotel to himself.