A New York man accused of directing a racist slur at Today show host Craig Melvin after entering a historic NBC building has been sentenced to six months in prison in connection with a separate arrest.
Andrew Truelove, 41, appeared Wednesday afternoon in Manhattan Criminal Court for multiple third-degree criminal mischief charges stemming from an unrelated incident on May 30. Details of that case were not immediately available.
Dressed in a tan jumpsuit, Truelove pleaded guilty to violating his probation in the case. Judge Gregory Carro sentenced him to six months in prison followed by five years of probation during a brief hearing that lasted less than 10 minutes.
Truelove repeatedly looked wide-eyed as he glanced around the courtroom on the building’s 13th floor, including as he was led away.
He responded only in short phrases while acknowledging his plea and made no other statements.
Truelove is due back in court on November 16 to face two hate crime charges connected to his alleged breach of the NBC building on the morning of July 16.
According to a criminal complaint cited by CNN, he allegedly hurled a racial insult at Melvin and later told him that he “always wanted to call a black famous person the n–word.”
Truelove was arrested on July 13, 2025, in connection with the criminal mischief charges heard Wednesday. He was released following that arrest, before the alleged incident at NBC a year later.
Andrew Truelove, 41, was sentenced to prison when he appeared in New York Criminal Court on Wednesday afternoon
Truelove will be back in court in November to face hate crime charges related to allegations of sneaking into an NBC building and racially insulting Today show co–host Craig Melvin
Melvin allegedly asked Truelove if ‘that’s what you wanted to get arrested for’ after the incident
Truelove was arrested at the Rockefeller Center in midtown Manhattan for allegedly insulting Melvin on July 16, 2026, and has remained in custody since.
He allegedly entered the iconic NBC building around 9am by sneaking behind an employee who could swipe into restricted areas using their identification badge, CNN reported.
Truelove allegedly entered looking for Al Roker, and once he saw Melvin started yelling that he wanted to see the Today weather anchor.
After that, he allegedly approached Melvin and insulted him racially before being taken into custody near the building’s Studio 1A.
The reported criminal complaint alleged that Melvin asked Truelove if ‘that’s what you wanted to get arrested for.’
Melvin addressed the incident on Instagram shortly after it happened, saying that he was ‘doing just fine.’
NBC said in a statement that ‘there was no altercation, and no one was injured’ during Truelove’s alleged breach.
‘TODAY is cooperating fully with law enforcement as they investigate the matter,’ the statement continued. ‘NBC and TODAY take the safety and security of our employees, talent, staff and guests extremely seriously.’
SEE ALSO: Monaco Royal Family Member Dies in 40ft Fall as Ukrainian Arrested
Truelove was taken into custody last July 13 for the incident that he appeared in court on Wednesday for
Melvin posted on social media that he was ‘doing just fine’ after the July incident involving Truelove
The network added that it was reviewing the incident and its security protocols due to what happened.
The Daily Mail was previously told that security concerns were being addressed, with an insider likening the studio to ‘Fort Knox.’
The breach came after host Savannah Guthrie’s mother, 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, was taken from her Tucson, Arizona, home on January 31.
Savannah, 54, found Truelove’s actions ‘incredibly triggering.’
Truelove is also expected back in court on October 9 over a third unrelated case that started this January.
He was charged with third-degree assault with intent to cause physical injury in that case, where he has pleaded not guilty.
Truelove was homeless for two decades in states including California, Florida, Maryland and Virginia before allegedly racially targeting Melvin, the Los Angeles Times reported.
If convicted in the case involving Melvin, Truelove could face up to 15 years in prison.
He had recently started sleeping in the New York City subway tunnels and was not bothered by the rats, according to the report.
Truelove allegedly slipped into the NBC building by trailing an employee who was able to swipe into restricted areas using their identification
His half-sister, who was unnamed, told the outlet that Truelove did not take his schizophrenia medication and was ‘very sick and very mentally ill.’
Truelove had previously been remanded to Rikers Island in July without bail after violating probation, according to The New York Post.
He had already been sentenced in June to time served and probation after spending six months in prison in a criminal mischief case.
In 2007, Truelove had been convicted of trying to abduct an eight-year-old from a school in Norfolk, Virginia, per WFMD.
Truelove was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the abduction attempt, with six years suspended, and given 10 years of probation, the outlet reported.
He has faced previous charges of trespassing, destruction of property, making bomb threats, and multiple probation violations in Virginia, as well.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Legal Aid Society, which is representing Truelove, for comment.
