§ 206-c. Frauds on guests of hotels, boarding houses, rooming-houses and lodging houses. A person who for purposes of gain and by means of any false statement or representation regarding a hotel, boarding house, rooming-house or lodging house, shall divert or attempt to divert any traveler or any other person to another hotel, boarding house, rooming-house or lodging house, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
The making of a false statement regarding a hotel, boarding house, rooming-house or lodging house, coupled with a suggestion or recommendation to patronize another hotel, boarding house, rooming-house or lodging house shall be presumptive evidence that the act of the defendant was committed for the purpose of gain.
Any person who shall pay, or offer to pay any money or other reward to another for diverting patrons from one hotel, boarding house, rooming-house or lodging house to another, knowing that such diversion was effected in the manner herein prohibited, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
In any prosecution of a person for payment or offer of payment of money or other reward in violation of this section, proof of prior notice to the defendant that the person to whom payment was made or offered has at any time diverted patronage from one hotel, boarding house, rooming-house or lodging house to another by means of false representation, shall be presumptive evidence that such defendant knew that the diversion complained of was effected by false statements or representations in violation of this section.
