New Jersey

NJ Landlord Accused of Sex Crimes Against Tenants to Pay $4.5M to Victims: Feds

The monetary settlement marks the largest ever obtained in a case alleging sexual harassment in housing, according to federal prosecutors

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What to Know

  • A man who has owned hundreds of rental units scattered across 18 residential properties in Elizabeth, New Jersey, has agreed to pay $4.5 million in connection to a lawsuit concerning his sexual harassment of tenants and housing applicants for more than 15 years, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.
  • Joseph Centanni, 74, of Mountainside, was charged over the summer with sexual crimes against seven more tenants, bringing the total number of victims to 20, prosecutors have said.
  • The monetary settlement marks the largest ever obtained in a case alleging sexual harassment in housing, according to federal prosecutors. The settlement will be distributed to the women and men who were sexually harassed by Centanni.

A man who has owned hundreds of rental units scattered across 18 residential properties in Elizabeth, New Jersey, has agreed to pay $4.5 million in connection to a lawsuit concerning his sexual harassment of tenants and housing applicants for more than 15 years, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.

Joseph Centanni, 74, of Mountainside, was charged over the summer with sexual crimes against seven more tenants, bringing the total number of victims to 20, prosecutors have said. He faces nearly three dozen criminal counts, including criminal sexual contact and sexual assault. Centanni is accused of engaging in the alleged sex crimes at various points from 2013 to 2020; the women ranged in age from 22 to 61. Centanni is accused of harassing both women and gay or bisexual men.

The federal lawsuit alleged that Centanni’s harassment spanned a period of at least 15 years. According to the complaint, Centanni demanded sexual favors to get or keep housing; offered housing benefits, such as reduced rent in exchange for sexual favors; touched tenants and applicants in a way that was sexual and unwelcome; and made unwelcome sexual comments and advances to tenants and applicants.

The complaint also alleged that Centanni threatened to evict tenants who refused his sexual advances. According to the complaint, Centanni participates in the federal Housing Choice Voucher Program (also known as Section 8) and receives approximately $102,000 each month in Housing Choice Voucher payments.

A long-term investigation initiated by a referral from Elizabeth police and led by the Prosecutor’s Office’s Special Victims Unit revealed that Centanni allegedly targeted tenants or prospective tenants who were homeless, about to be evicted, or otherwise struggling financially, according to the lead prosecutor in the case.

The monetary settlement marks the largest ever obtained in a case alleging sexual harassment in housing, according to federal prosecutors. The settlement will be distributed to the women and men who were sexually harassed by Centanni.

The settlement also reflects that Centanni has sold all of his residential rental properties. Additionally, under the terms of the settlement, he is prohibited from owning and managing residential rental properties in the future.

Centanni will also be required to dismiss housing court judgments deemed to be retaliatory and take steps to repair the credit of any affected tenants. He must also pay a $107,050 civil penalty to the United States, the maximum civil penalty allowed under the Fair Housing Act (FHA).

The Fair Housing Act (FHA) prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, which includes sexual harassment and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

The settlement must be approved by the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.

“The need for housing is a basic human need,” Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig of the District of New Jersey said. “Joseph Centanni exploited that need, and the important federal programs that attempt to meet it, by threatening to deny his victims a roof over their heads if they did not submit to his demands for sexual acts. This landmark settlement demonstrates our unyielding commitment to combat sexual harassment in housing and to ensure that no one is subject to discrimination because of their sex, including based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.”

“No one deserves to be victimized and preyed upon in their own home,” Department of Housing and Urban Development Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis said. “HUD OIG is committed to investigating with our law enforcement partners to pursue predatory landlords and hold them accountable for this egregious behavior and seek relief for victims.”

Authorities urge anyone who believes that they were subjected to sexual harassment by Centanni to contact the Housing Discrimination Tip Line toll free, at 1-833-591-0291, and select option number one to leave a message. Individuals can also contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Hotline at (855) 281-3339. Individuals may also email the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov, or submit a report online.

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