Woman who falsely accused Black teen of stealing her phone pleads guilty to hate crime

A woman who falsely accused a Black teenager of stealing her cellular phone at a New York hotel in a 2020 incident that went viral has pleaded guilty to a hate crime. 

Prosecutors said on Monday that Miya Ponsetto has pleaded guilty to unlawful imprisonment in the second degree as a hate crime related to the incident, adding the charge can be reduced if Ponsetto stays out of trouble for two years.

In December 2020, a viral video showed Ponsetto harassing and tackling Keyon Harrold Jr., the son of jazz musician Keyon Harrold, in the lobby of the Arlo SoHo Hotel, accusing him of stealing her phone.

NBC News reported that Ponsetto left the phone in an Uber, and it was later returned to her.

Ponsetto was arrested in her home state of California days after the incident after the New York Police Department (NYPD) released surveillance video footage in an effort to locate her. 

The Harrold family filed a lawsuit against Ponsetto last March alleging that the now 23-year-old woman racially profiled the teen. 

Ponestto, who was dubbed by social media users as “SoHo Karen,” has repeatedly denied that she racially profiled Harrold Jr. 

“Ms. Ponsetto displayed outrageous behavior. As a Black man, I have personally experienced racial profiling countless times in my life and I sympathize with the young man victimized in this incident,”  Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr. said in a statement. “This plea ensures appropriate accountability for Ms. Ponsetto by addressing underlying causes for her behavior and ensuring this conduct does not reoccur.”