NYC squatter who seized $1 million Queens home arrested on burglary and grand larceny charges

Brian Rodriguez, 35, pleaded not guilty in court on Thursday to charges that include second-degree burglary, fourth-degree grand larceny, fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, second-degree criminal trespass, and fourth-degree criminal mischief, according to Fox 5 New York.

Rodriguez has been accused of illegally occupying a single-family home in Flushing, Queens, and renting out rooms to others, claims District Attorney Melinda Katz's Office.

A warrant was issued for his arrest after the homeowner, Adele Andoloro, filed a lawsuit with the district attorney's office over the incident.

Andoloro was previously arrested by NYPD for unlawful eviction after she had changed the locks in an attempt to prevent the squatters from re-entering her property. The incident was captured on video and went viral.

According to NYC law, changing locks is prohibited if "tenants" have inhabited a building for more than 30 days.

Judge Toni Cimino ordered Rodriguez to be released from jail after denying the prosecutor's request to keep him behind bars on a $100,000 bail until his next court date on May 13.

Rodriguez was granted a supervised release and home confinement, while Andoloro was granted a protection order against Rodriguez, according to the New York Post.

District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the charges in a statement and said, "Criminal charges will be pursued when you unlawfully occupy someone else's home. You cannot just enter a home and claim you have a right to stay."

"You cannot first enter a home without permission, then stay without permission and later claim vested rights simply because the legitimate owner is unaware or has been unable to remove you for 30 days. The defendant in this case is alleged to have entered and stayed in this home unlawfully. He has now been charged with burglary and grand larceny," said Katz.

According to Rodriguez's lawyer Gerald Levine, the media attention surrounding the case had caused his client's tires to be slashed and his mother to experience cardiac issues.

Levine then told Fox News that his client was "innocent" and that Rodriguez was the "real victim."

"Everything is on the record – all I can tell you is he's not guilty," said Levine.

Rodriguez claimed that he signed a $3,200 per month lease from a real estate agent named "Ronnie Ferg" whom he had met at a laundromat, explaining that he didn't know the alleged lease was fraudulent, according to the Post.