NJ Landlord Demanded Sexual Favors From Tenants In Exchange For Housing, Feds Say

[Sugar Cookie]

A New Jersey landlord who owns hundreds of rental units and receives about $100,000 a month in federal voucher payments demanded sexual favors from low-income tenants in exchange for housing, federal authorities alleged in a lawsuit on Wednesday.

The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey, claims that landlord Joseph Centanni has "subjected tenants and applicants to sexual harassment on multiple occasions" since 2005, a violation of the Fair Housing Act.

“No one should ever be forced to provide sexual favors, or otherwise endure sexual harassment, as a condition to keep or obtain housing,” U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said in a statement.

Centanni, who owns 18 buildings in Elizabeth, used his position as a property manager to sexually harass tenants and prospective tenants -- sometimes threatening to evict them if they refused, the Justice Department alleged.

The lawsuit accuses the landlord of "demanding that tenants provide him with sexual favors" in order to either obtain or keep their housing, "offering to grant tangible housing benefits ... to tenants in exchange for sexual favors, including oral sex," and exposing himself to actual and prospective tenants, among other allegations.

In one alleged instance in 2019, a tenant who had agreed to move out approached Centanni because she was having trouble finding a new apartment.

“Centanni asked her words to the effect of ‘how bad do you want your apartment?’ and took her to an empty storage room,” the complaint said. Centanni then exposed himself to the tenant and asked for oral sex in exchange for her being allowed to stay in the building.

Feeling she had no choice, "the tenant submitted to Centanni’s sexual demand,” the complaint said. “After this incident, Centanni allowed her to stay in her apartment.”

Centanni is a beneficiary of federal funding, participating in the Housing Choice Voucher Program, which subsidizes the rent of lower-income families, the elderly and people with disabilities, according to the complaint.

As of April, he had about 120 tenants with Housing Choice Vouchers and received roughly $102,000 each month in payments.

The suit is seeking damages from Centanni for the victims.

New Jersey landlord demanded sexual favors from tenants in exchange for housing, feds say

The lawsuit accuses the landlord of "demanding that tenants provide him with sexual favors" in order to either obtain or keep their housing.

www.foxnews.com

 

[caitierig]

I wonder if my mortgage company accepts this type of payment...could save myself some money...

 

[Flam3inKaiju]

Casting couch/ pawn something (dont know the name off my head, but one of your will),/ name a theme 101. Wonder if theirs evidence, for you know proof....

 

[Stebot]

So he is a rich guy is the reason we don't get to see his picture ?

 

[LFODBiker]

FFS - This cretin certainly has the means to pay for whatever kind of 'companionship' his heart's desires (as long as it's agreed to and consensual, knock yourself out).

Just a pathetic power tripping sick fuck!!!

You just know he's going to be somebody's protected bitch when he gets locked up.

 

[LarzlovesJahi]

Ugh. It is crazy expensive to live in North Jersey. He really had leverage. I'm just so sad at these women goin' down to hang on to a shitty-ass apartment.

 

[thuumpr]

So he is a rich guy is the reason we don't get to see his picture ?

Was thinking the same thing... Why no picture of this Don Juan?

 

[Freyja]

Ugh. It is crazy expensive to live in North Jersey. He really had leverage. I'm just so sad at these women goin' down to hang on to a shitty-ass apartment.

All the more reason to live somewhere else where your money will go a lot further.

 

[knockout]

FFS - This cretin certainly has the means to pay for whatever kind of 'companionship' his heart's desires (as long as it's agreed to and consensual, knock yourself out).

Just a pathetic power tripping sick fuck!!!

You just know he's going to be somebody's protected bitch when he gets locked up.

Actually sounds like he’s the property manager, not owner, although yes managing that many properties he would be making a mint

 

[Sejanus]

He is 73?!?!??

Jeez gramps slow the fuck down!

Seize everything he owns and give it to his victims.

Then he can die in a cage

 

[Sugar Cookie]

He is getting most of his rent from the government what this sick bastard did was ask for sex in exchange for the portion of the rent the tenant payed.

 

[Satanica]

So he is a rich guy is the reason we don't get to see his picture ?

It may be because he's being sued; not arrested. The government just wants it's money back. It would be up to the victims to go after him for the sexual assaults, I think.

 

[Prettypink513]

Reminds me of my first landlord. What a skeez

Justice Department Obtains $855,000 Judgment Against Cincinnati Landlord for Sexually Harassing His Tenants

Cincinnati landlord Henry E. Bailey agreed to the entry of an $855,000 civil judgment against him, after admitting that he violated the Fair Housing Act as alleged in a complaint filed by the Justice Department in federal court.

www.justice.gov

 

[notchback]

I wonder if my mortgage company accepts this type of payment...could save myself some money...

Yes, I will take this type of payment.

 

[Sevens My Charm]

One woman, according to the eight-page lawsuit, approached Centanni last year to tell him she’d have difficulty paying her rent, prompting him to say he’d help her apply for rental assistance while asking what she’d do in return.

“He then brought her to an empty apartment,” the lawsuit alleges. “There, he asked her for a massage and exposed himself. He then subjected her to unwanted sexual touching by using his hands to move both of hers to touch his testicles and penis as she said words to the effect of ‘no,’ and ‘don’t do that.’”

Centanni proceeded to help the woman apply for rental assistance, federal prosecutors said.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Dec. 22, 2022,

A grand jury indicted a former New Jersey landlord last week on more than three dozen sex charges, accusing him of soliciting sex from tenants who were facing eviction or struggling financially, authorities announced Wednesday.

Joseph Centanni, 75, of Mountainside, is charged in a 42-count indictment listing 23 counts of second-degree sexual assault and 19 counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel, Elizabeth Police Director Earl Graves and Elizabeth Police Chief Giacomo Sacca said in a joint statement.

The alleged crimes occurred from 2013 to 2020 and included male and female victims ages 22 to 61, the statement said.

Centanni, the former owner of hundreds of rental units across 18 residential properties, “targeted tenants or prospective tenants who were homeless, about to be evicted, or otherwise struggling financially,” authorities said.

Centanni, who was arrested in June 2021, remains free under court-ordered pretrial monitoring pending the outcome of his case, officials said.

In December 2021, the Justice Department announced that Centanni had agreed to pay a historic $4.5 million settlement to resolve a Fair Housing Act lawsuit seeking to protect tenants from harassment and discrimination.

The lawsuit alleged Centanni had sexually harassed susceptible tenants for more than 15 years.

The settlement, which federal prosecutors said at the time still had to be approved by the U.S. District Court for New Jersey, “is the largest monetary settlement the department has ever obtained in a case alleging sexual harassment in housing,” the Justice Department said.

It was not immediately clear Thursday whether the settlement had been approved.

Centanni sold all of his properties as part of the settlement, the statement said. He was also permanently banned “from owning and managing residential rental properties in the future.”

Records tied to the settlement indicate Centanni has said he does not own any rental property and is not directly or indirectly performing any property management responsibilities.

Under the terms of the proposed consent decree, Centanni would pay $4,392,950 in damages to tenants and prospective tenants “harmed by his harassment,” authorities said.

He would also pay an additional $107,050 civil penalty to the U.S. government, the maximum civil penalty allowed under the Fair Housing Act, federal prosecutors said.

Grand Jury indicts former N.J. landlord on sex charges against 30 tenants

Joseph Centanni, 75, targeted male and female tenants or prospective tenants "who were homeless, about to be evicted, or otherwise struggling financially," Union County prosecutors say.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[Metalfan]

Viagra ,you'll shoot your eye out!

 

[Crazy Cat Lady]

Here's a photo of Mr. Studly. He wasn't too picky in his choice of victims, was he?

"The alleged crimes occurred from 2013 to 2020 and included male and female victims ages 22 to 61, the statement said." (From @Sugar Cookie's post)

 

[cubby]

It's absolutely nauseating to even think about touching his old wrinkled nutsack, I feel so sorry for his victims, because even after the award, once it's distributed to all his victims, it still won't be enough for each one to really make a big difference in their lifestyle.

But maybe it will be enough to make their lives a little bit better and for them to know they don't have to put up with Chester the Molesters.

I hate being controlled even by people who have my best interests in mind, but damn someone who's in it just for themselves.