NJ landlord, 78, accused of sex-for-rent scheme must face justice, court rules

🚨 Sexual assault accusations against landlord date back at least to 2006

🚨 Criminal charges against him were previously dismissed

🚨 Joseph Centanni paid out millions for violating the Fair Housing Act, feds say

ELIZABETH — A landlord who federal authorities say preyed on his tenants must face the dozens of criminal charges against him, according to a court decision.

Joseph Centanni, 78, is accused of inappropriately touching tenants and forcing them to perform oral sex in exchange for financial relief.

Centanni was first criminally charged in December 2021; he was later indicted on 23 counts of second-degree sexual assault and 19 counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact.

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Last year, the Superior Court in Union County dismissed those charges because it didn't see the landlord's financial power over his tenants as physical coercion. It appeared that Centanni would never face a jury of his peers.

However, last week the Appellate Division overturned that ruling.

It found that the financial pressure to perform sexual acts meant that consent could not be freely given.

Seven of the charges were not reinstated, including five counts that were dismissed because of the statute of limitations.

Joseph Hayden, Jr., Centanni's attorney, said to NJ.com that they would take the matter to the New Jersey Supreme Court.

Landlord charged with sexual abuse of tenants

The charges against Centanni stem from years of pressuring tenants across his 18 residential properties across New Jersey to perform sexual acts in exchange for rent reductions or eviction delays, according to the Union County Prosecutor's Office.

He also exposed himself and asked for massages while in empty laundry rooms or apartments, authorities said.

Prosecutors said Centanni was not picky; his victims were both male and female and ranged in age from 22 to 61 years old.

Some victims were aspiring tenants who had applied for housing, federal authorities said.

While the indictment covered the years from 2013 to 2020, the U.S. Justice Department said in a separate but similar case that his predatory behavior dated back to 2006.

Landlord agrees to pay $4.5 million to settle accusations

While the county charges remain pending against Centanni, he previously paid millions to settle accusations brought by the DOJ.

In 2021, Centanni agreed to pay his victims $4,392,950 in damages, according to federal officials.

Centanni also had to pay a $107,050 civil penalty, the maximum possible fine, for violating the Fair Housing Act, officials said.

It was the largest settlement the DOJ obtained in a housing case involving accusations of sexual harassment.

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