Miya Ponsetto, who falsely accused Black teen of stealing cellphone, receives no jail time following plea deal
NEW YORK -- Miya Ponsetto, the woman dubbed "SoHo Karen" after cellphone video caught her falsely accusing a Black teenager of stealing her cellphone, faced a judge Monday and avoided jail time after sealing a plea deal.
As part of the arrangement, Ponsetto pleaded guilty to two of the charges: unlawful imprisonment in the second degree as a hate crime and a misdemeanor aggravated harassment in the second degree. She must stay out of trouble for two years," CBS2's Thalia Perez reported.
Ponsetto said nothing as she walked out of court on Monday afternoon after making a deal with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
Ponsetto was accused of attacking 14-year old Keyon Harrold Jr. and his father in the lobby of the Arlo Hotel in SoHo in December of 2020 and falsely accusing the teen of stealing her cellphone.
Surveillance video captured the 22-year-old confronting the teen and then tackling him. It turned out that Harrold never had her cellphone.
Harrold is the son of a prominent jazz trumpeter Keyon Harrold Sr., who also recorded the altercation on his cellphone.
"Are you kidding me? Do you really feel like there is only one iPhone made like the in the world?" Keyon Harrold Sr. is heard saying on the footage.
"Then show me the ... show me the ...," Ponsetto said.
"No, go get a life," Harrold Sr. said.
"You see two Black people ...," he added.
"No, I'm not letting him get away with my phone," Ponsetto said.
Harrold Jr. is the son of a prominent jazz trumpeter Keyon Harrold Sr., who also recorded the altercation on his cell phone.
In an exclusive interview with CBS This Morning's Gayle King, Ponsetto said her actions were not racially charged.
"I'm sincerely sorry to the family and the dad and the son for making them feel as if I was racist," Ponsetto said.
Shortly after Ponsetto's court appearance, District Attorney Alvin Bragg released a statement saying, in part, "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. This plea ensures appropriate accountability for Ms. Ponsetto by addressing underlying causes for her behavior and ensuring this conduct does not reoccur."
Ponsetto, who is from California, must abide by the terms of her California probation or she must come back and face jail time.
"We are pleased that today's proceeding brought this unfortunate misunderstanding closer to a final resolution. Miya Ponsetto has been leading an exemplary life since this incident with the young man close to a year and a half ago. We are appreciative of the District Attorney's thoughtful and empathetic approach to finding an acceptable conclusion - especially in light of the unreasonable pressure brought to bear by many voices not familiar with the more granular details of what occurred that evening," attorney Paul D'Emilia said in a statement. "Ms. Ponsetto looks forward to her eventual final plea to the Harassment charge -- a plea that we feel more realistically reflects her actions that night at the Arlo Hotel. It is Ms. Ponsetto's wish that Keyon Harrold accepts her regrets and apology for her behavior that evening, and that all involved can move forward with added insight and compassion."