Miya Ponsetto—better known as “Soho Karen” online—who attacked and wrongly accused a Black teen she spotted at a Manhattan hotel in December 2020 of stealing her cellphone, has struck a plea deal that would allow her to skip jail time, according to the New York Post.
The viral video of the altercation of Ponsetto, then 22, and son of famed trumpeter Keyon Harrold, Keyon Harrold Jr., then 14, came at a time where Black Americans were exhausted with racial injustices. While grappling with the unprecedented nature of the global coronavirus pandemic, the high profile deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, left no room for even the slightest of racial charged interactions.
Under the agreement revealed Monday, Ponsetto would have to plead guilty to that felony hate crime charge, the top count against her. According to Assistant District Attorney Sarah Marquez, Ponsetto would then be required to lead a “law-abiding life” for the next two years, which includes compliance with California probation officers, and continue to receive counseling.
If successfully completed, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said it would agree to her withdrawing the plea to the felony charge in exchange for a second-degree aggravated harassment guilty plea—a misdemeanor. The deal also entails that Ponsetto wouldn’t be subject to any additional jail time.
If Ponsetto fails to live a “law-abiding life” for the next two years, she will face one and a half years to three years incarceration.
The slap on Ponsetto’s wrist is a slap in Keyon Harrold Jr.’s face. Ponsetto’s behavior prior to and following the incident proved that she is both unruly and lacks remorse. Viewers may recall her less than favorable interview with Gayle King on CBS Mornings. Not to mention, earlier that same year, TMZ reported, Ponsetto had a charge of public intoxication dropped against her over an alleged altercation in Beverly Hills. She was also charged for fighting with cops during a DUI arrest, where her blood-alcohol level was allegedly twice the legal limit, in a separate incident also caught on camera.
Both Ponsetto and the Arlo Soho Hotel are currently being sued by the Harrold family behind the incident.