The notorious “SoHo Karen” who falsely accused a black teenager of stealing her phone in a Manhattan hotel had a hate crime charge expunged from her record Monday after fulfilling a plea deal that avoided prison time.
Miya Ponsetto, 26, pleaded guilty to a new misdemeanor charge of second-degree aggravated harassment for assaulting then-15-year-old Keyon Harrold Jr. after accusing him of taking her iPhone in an infamous, camera-caught incident at the Arlo SoHo Hotel on Dec. 26, 2020.
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Ponsetto, who was dressed in shabby clothes – checkered Vans sneakers, baggy pants and an oversized winter coat, a departure from her usual smart courtroom attire – did not comment after the hearing in Manhattan Supreme Court.
The California native pleaded guilty to hate crime false imprisonment in April 2022 and reached an agreement with Manhattan prosecutors that would have the felony expunged from her record if she completed counseling and did not violate any laws for two years.
After receiving documents from Ponsetto’s attorney, Paul D’Emilia, on Monday morning, prosecutors confirmed to Judge Laura Ward that her client had completed the terms of the agreement.
If she failed to comply with the agreement, she could face up to four years in prison.
Ponsetto was filmed by Harrold’s father, jazz trumpeter Keyon Harrold, frantically telling the manager in the hotel lobby that her phone had been stolen, but Harrold said the Uber driver returned her phone just minutes after the incident.
She is being sued by the Harrold family over the incident, and the case is still ongoing.
Speaking with “CBS This Morning” host Gayle King, who was wearing a black hat that read “Daddy,” Ponsetto famously downplayed the incident by claiming she wasn’t racist because she’s a “woman of color.”
Ponsetto, who once told The Washington Post that she “wish I had apologized differently” to her victims, left Monday’s hearing pushing a black suitcase and carrying a Trader Joe’s tote bag as court officials waited for an elevator for her and her lawyers.
The judge extended the protective order and ordered Ponsetto to have no contact with Harold Jr. or his father.
“We are pleased that Ms. Ponsetto will not face any criminal charges or convictions in this case,” her lawyer said in a statement after the hearing.
“While I believe this matter was intentionally misrepresented and mislabeled, I am relieved that our office was able to persuade the New York County District Attorney to avoid any lasting harm to Miya, who was unfairly and publicly blamed for this unfortunate incident,” D’Emilia said.
“Miya is extremely relieved by this resolution and looks forward to resuming her life in California with her family and loved ones.”
