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A grand jury has indicted a former New Jersey landlord on 42 charges for allegedly soliciting sex from his tenants in exchange for reduced rent. Joseph Centanni, 75, of Mountainside, was charged with 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 announced in a joint statement.
Officials said that the crimes occurred over seven years and included male and female victims between the ages of 22 and 61.
Centanni allegedly targeted victims who were homeless, about to be evicted, or struggling financially. In exchange for sex, Centanni promised he would reduce their rent, delay their eviction proceedings, or provide them with other forms of financial assistance.
Those who rebuffed Centanni's advances were threatened with eviction or other retaliatory measures.
Centanni was arrested in 2021 and remains free on court-ordered pretrial monitoring. In December 2021, the Justice Department announced Centanni agreed to pay $4.5 million and sell all of the 18 properties he owned to settle a Fair Housing Act lawsuit.