NEW YORK — A man who has been accused of fraud for asserting ownership of a historic Manhattan hotel, where he lived rent-free for multiple years, has been declared unfit to stand trial, prosecutors announced on Wednesday.
Psychiatrists evaluated Mickey Barreto and found him mentally incompetent to face the charges against him. This conclusion was confirmed during a court session on Wednesday, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s office chaired by Alvin Bragg.
Judge Cori Weston has granted Barreto until November 13 to secure appropriate inpatient psychiatric treatment. Previously, Barreto had been under outpatient care for substance abuse and mental health concerns; however, recent assessments indicated that he did not fully comprehend the legal proceedings he is entangled in.
Barreto has denied the accusations regarding his alleged drug issues, referring to his behavior as merely some “partying,” and claimed that the prosecution aims to hospitalize him due to the weakness of their case against him. He perceives some benefits in the shift of public opinion surrounding his circumstances.
“It transitioned from ‘He’s a criminal’ to them now saying, ‘Oh, poor thing. Finally, we convinced him to go seek treatment,’” Barreto commented on Wednesday.
Brian Hutchinson, acting as Barreto’s attorney, has not responded to requests for comments made via phone. However, during the court proceedings on Wednesday, he expressed his intent to appeal to his client’s current treatment facility to take him in.
In February, barreto was charged with 24 offenses, which include felony fraud and criminal contempt. According to the prosecution, he allegedly forged a deed for the New Yorker Hotel, falsely asserting that he was the owner of the entire property.
Furthermore, Barreto is accused of attempting to charge a tenant rent and of demanding the hotel’s bank to transfer its financial accounts to him, among various other actions.
Barreto had begun his residence at the hotel in 2018, arguing that he had established tenant rights by paying about $200 for a single night’s stay. His claim was based on certain peculiarities in the city’s housing laws and the absence of legal representation for the hotel during a crucial hearing.
According to Barreto, he was able to live at the hotel rent-free because the current owners, the Unification Church, were unwilling to negotiate a formal lease with him, yet they were also unable to legally evict him.
Now, it appears his ongoing criminal case may be presenting an unexpected opportunity.
“If you ask me if it’s a better thing, in a way it is. Because I’m not being treated as a criminal but I’m treated like a nutjob,” he stated.
The New Yorker Hotel, an imposing Art Deco structure built in 1930, is a well-known landmark adorned with a large red “New Yorker” sign in midtown Manhattan.
Notably, figures like Muhammad Ali and various renowned boxers frequented the hotel during their bouts at the nearby Madison Square Garden. Inventor Nikola Tesla resided in one of its over 1,000 rooms for approximately ten years, and NBC utilized the hotel’s Terrace Room for its broadcasts.
However, the hotel ceased operations as an accommodation venue in 1972 and was utilized for church-related activities for many years, before a segment of the building reopened as a hotel in 1994.