Manhattan Hotel Squatter Faces Charges for False Ownership Claim

Mickey Barreto, a 48-year-old man, lived rent-free in a Manhattan hotel for 5 years by exploiting a housing law, but was arrested and charged with filing false property records after claiming ownership of the entire New Yorker Hotel building and attempting to charge rent to another tenant. Barreto's legal saga began when he and his boyfriend paid $200 to rent a room in the hotel, and he claimed possession through a legal loophole. He then uploaded a fake deed to transfer ownership of the building to himself and made various fraudulent claims as the owner. The Unification Church, which bought the property in 1976, sued Barreto over the deed claim, and the case is ongoing. Barreto argues that his actions were aimed at denying profits to the Unification Church and claims to have never made any money from the situation.