Arrested Miya Ponsetto: Teenager Falsely Accused of Theft

On Wednesday, Miya Ponsetto entered a plea of not guilty. Her lawyer, Paul D’Emilia, called the allegations “absurd” in response to them.

On Wednesday, a lady who made a false accusation against a Black teenager in December of stealing her phone from a hotel room in New York City was arraigned on a charge of committing a hate crime.

Miya Ponsetto

Miya Ponsetto had a question for the journalist who was interviewing her just a few short weeks after she had been captured on tape beating a Black teenager whom she had wrongly accused of stealing her phone. Miya Ponsetto had falsely accused the adolescent of stealing her phone.

How can it be a crime for one female to accuse another of a guy’s phone? Gayle King, host of “CBS Mornings,” was questioned by Ponsetto.

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According to a statement released by the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr., a California woman, age 23, pleaded guilty on Monday to a felony charge of unlawful imprisonment in the second degree as a hate crime for falsely accusing a 14-year-old boy of stealing her phone and then attacking him.

The felony charge stems from the fact that the woman falsely accused the boy of stealing her phone and then attacked him. In the plea arrangement reached with Ponsetto, the prosecution agreed to drop several additional accusations against her and will enable her to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge in the end if she avoids getting into any legal trouble for the next two years. If Ponsetto does not comply, she could spend up to four years in state jail in the state of New York.

Miya Ponsetto, a resident of California, may be seen in a video that has gone viral lunging at, tackling, and yelling that the 14-year-old son of jazz musician Keyon Harrold stole her iPhone. The footage was shot in California. The altercation occurred on December 26 in the lobby of the upmarket and boutique hotel known as Arlo Soho, where both Harrold and his son, Keyon Harrold Jr., were staying at the time. It was determined at a later time that Ponsetto had forgotten her phone inside of an Uber vehicle, and the driver finally gave it back to her.

At the beginning of this year, she was arrested on suspicion of attempting to commit robbery, grand theft, acting in a manner that was harmful to a kid, and two charges of attempting to assault someone.

Ponsetto was indicted by a grand jury in the county of New York on Wednesday for two counts of unlawful confinement as a hate crime, one count of aggravated harassment, and one count of endangering the welfare of a child. She entered a not-guilty plea.

Ponsetto’s attorney, Paul D’Emilia, called the allegations against his client “absurd,” and said that District Attorney Cy Vance took a “craven and opportunistic course in indicting” his client. Paul D’Emilia also stated that the charges were “absurd.”

D’Emilia stated in a statement that “today marked another low moment in the checkered administration of outgoing Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance.”

“The allegations being brought against the defendant represent a flagrant and obvious violation of the statute’s intended purpose. In a nutshell, they are laughable and represent a subversion of our existing judicial system. This district attorney shows absolutely little interest in law enforcement or prosecution, despite the fact that truly violent criminals are rampaging around New York City and committing marauding crimes. Instead, he directs his prosecutorial rage at a young woman who is upset and panicked because she is stuck hundreds of miles away from home without her phone, which is her only lifeline. Shameful.”

A video of the interaction that was one minute long was posted to the teen’s father’s social media accounts. Ponsetto is heard crying, “Show me my phone!” as she pursues Harrold and his son around the hotel lobby in the video. She is seen confronting Harrold and his son.

On Monday, a woman who was captured on tape assaulting a Black teenager in a New York City hotel lobby after accusing the boy of stealing her cellphone reached an agreement with prosecutors to reduce her charges in exchange for pleading guilty. According to the statements made by the Manhattan District Attorney, Miya Ponsetto, who is 23 years old and from California, pleaded guilty to wrongful imprisonment in the second degree as a hate crime.

After a video of the event became widely shared on social media in December of 2020, Ponsetto, also known as “SoHo Karen,” was catapulted into the center of attention on a national scale. In the foyer of the Arlo Hotel in SoHo, she assaulted Keyon Harrold, Jr., who was only 14 years old at the time, as well as his father, while accusing the boy of stealing her iPhone. After further investigation, her attorney determined that she had, in fact, forgotten the phone in an Uber.

According to a statement released by District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. on Monday, “Ms. Ponsetto demonstrated inappropriate behavior.” “I can empathize with the young man who was targeted because of his race because I am a Black man who has, throughout my life, been subjected to several instances of racial profiling. I am sorry that this happened to him. By addressing the fundamental causes of her behavior and ensuring that it does not reoccur, this plea assures that Ms. Ponsetto will have the appropriate level of accountability for her actions.”

Ponsetto’s attorney, Paul D’Emilia, stated that his client is relieved that the “unfortunate misunderstanding” may finally be put to rest as a result of her plea deal.

D’Emilia stated that “Ms. Ponsetto looks forward to her eventual final plea to the Harassment charge,” which is a plea that “we feel more realistically reflects her behavior that night at the Arlo Hotel.” “Ms. Ponsetto looks forward to her eventual final plea to the Harassment charge,” “It is Ms. Ponsetto’s hope that Keyon Harrold will acknowledge her remorse and accept her apology for her behavior that evening, and that everyone concerned will be able to move on with more awareness and compassion.”

Ponsetto refuted the notion that her acts were driven by racism in an exclusive interview that aired on “CBS Mornings” in January 2021, just a few hours before she was taken into custody for the first time. Ponsetto told co-host Gayle King, before becoming very confrontational, “I’m really apologetic to the family and to the father and the son for making them feel as if I was racist.” This was spoken before Ponsetto became very aggressive.

“The video appears to show me assaulting his son; how exactly did I assault him? Yelling at him, OK, I apologize. Can we go with this? Simply put, I am a female that is 22 years old. I am, I do not — racist — how is it that one female accusing another guy about a phone can be considered a criminal act?”

Ponsetto will be forced to complete her counseling, refrain from interacting with the criminal justice system, and adhere to the terms of her probation from a separate case in the state of California as part of the terms of the plea deal she agreed to. She will be eligible to re-plead to the charge of aggravated harassment in the second degree, which is a class A misdemeanor if she satisfies those criteria for a period of two years. Ponsetto faces anything from one and a half to four years in prison if she is unable to comply with the conditions of her release.

A California lady who made national headlines in 2020 when she falsely accused a Black teenager of stealing her phone from a hotel room in New York City has accepted a plea deal that would prevent her from going to prison if she stays out of trouble in the future.

Miya Ponsetto, who is 23 years old, entered a guilty plea on Monday to the felony charge of unlawful confinement as a hate crime. However, if she abides by the terms of the agreement, she will have the opportunity to change her plea to one of aggravated harassment, which is a misdemeanor.

Ponsetto was given a two-year probationary period as a result of a separate case involving drunk driving and resisting arrest. As part of the terms of this probation, Ponsetto was required to continue attending counseling and to avoid getting any more offenses. Prosecutors have stated that she faces a potential prison sentence of up to four years if she breaches the deal.

Ponsetto is accused of making a false accusation against Keyon Harrold Jr., a Black teenager who is the son of the jazz trumpeter Keyon Harrold, of taking her phone while she was staying at the Arlo Hotel in Manhattan in December 2020. The allegations come from this occurrence.

Ponsetto was seen on the video recording the event, which was captured by Harrold as well as from the hotel, forcibly grasping at Harrold Jr., who was just 14 years old at the time and was attempting to get away. Ponsetto makes a tackle on Harrold Jr. at one point, and both of them end up on the ground. The phone belonging to Ponsetto was eventually located and brought back in an Uber.

Ponsetto at first gave the impression that she was sorry to the Harrold family, but in an interview, she gave to CBS in 2021, she implied that he had, in fact, attempted to steal her phone.

“So, maybe it wasn’t him, but at the same time, how is it so that as soon as I get asked to leave the premises after I had accused this person of stealing my phone, how is it all of a sudden they just miraculously have my phone at the back?” “So, maybe it wasn’t him, but at the same time, how is it so that as soon as I get asked to leave the premises after I had accused this person of stealing my phone, how Ponsetto said.

The adolescent’s family has taken legal action against Ponsetto and the hotel, claiming that they were subjected to racial profiling. The matter is still being considered.

Alvin Bragg, the district attorney for Manhattan, stated that the plea bargain “ensures appropriate accountability” since it addresses the underlying causes of Ponsetto’s behavior and ensures that it will not recur in the future.

According to a statement released by Bragg, “Ms. Ponsetto demonstrated unacceptable behavior.” “As a Black man who has personally experienced racial profiling numerous times in my life, I empathize with the young man who was victimized in this situation. I have personally experienced racial profiling numerous times.”

Ponsetto’s attorney, Paul D’Emilia, referred to the incident as an “unfortunate misunderstanding” and stated that the minor harassment charge “better truly reflects her behavior that night at the Arlo Hotel.” Ponsetto was charged with misdemeanor harassment.

“Ms. Ponsetto hopes that Keyon Harrold will accept her apologies and regrets for her behavior earlier that evening and that everyone involved will be able to move on with more awareness and compassion.”

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