Miya Ponsetto, known as “SoHo Karen,” will not be receiving any jail time after taking a plea deal for wrongfully accusing a Black teen of stealing her cell phone.
On Monday, 23-year-old Miya Ponsetto pleaded guilty to unlawful imprisonment as a hate crime after she wrongfully accused a Black teen of stealing her iPhone back in 2020.
The incident gained a massive amount of media attention, and now she won’t be serving any jail time as she’s agreed to a plea deal that would block her from being thrown in the slammer if she stays out of trouble, USA Today reports.
Unlawful imprisonment is a felony, but Ponsetto will have the opportunity to replead to a misdemeanor aggravated harassment charge if she goes along with the deal’s terms. Her terms include no more arrests, counseling and complying with the terms of the probation she was given over a separate drunk driving and resisting arrest case. She will have to stay on track for two years, and if she doesn’t, she could face up to four years in prison.
“Miya Ponsetto has been leading an exemplary life since this incident with the young man close to a year and a half ago,” Ponsetto’s lawyer, Paul D’Emilia, said, USA Today reports.
“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,” D’Emilia said, the news outlet reports.
