Elizabeth landlord facing sex crime charges accused by seven more tenants – My Central Jersey
ELIZABETH – A city landlord charged with coercing tenants into sexual acts to secure or maintain housing has been charged with sexual crimes against seven additional tenants, bringing the number to 20.
Joseph Centanni, 73, of Mountainside, was charged with five additional counts of second-degree sexual assault and seven additional counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, for incidents that allegedly took place at various times from 2013 to 2020, with male and female victims ranging in age from 22 to 61, acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay V. Ruotolo and Elizabeth Police Department Chief Giacomo Sacca and Director Earl Graves jointly announced Thursday.
Centanni, who owns hundreds of city rental units, was arrested earlier this year and charged with coercing more than a dozen of his tenants into sexual acts in exchange for financial relief and charged with eight counts of sexual assault, one count of attempted sexual assault, both second-degree crimes, and 14 counts of criminal sexual contact.
An investigation by the prosecutor’s office’s Special Victims Unit indicated that between 2016 and 2020 Centanni allegedly targeted male and female tenants as well as prospective tenants who were homeless, facing eviction or struggling financially, Ruotolo said in a news release.
The accusers reported they felt they had no choice but to concede to Centanni’s demands, due to dire personal circumstances such as trying to maintain housing for their young children, according to Ruotolo.
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Centanni allegedly described the sex acts he solicited from his victims as a quid pro quo, agreeing to offer them rent reductions, a delay in an eviction or other forms of financial assistance in exchange. He also allegedly threatened tenants who hesitated or refused his advances with eviction or other retaliatory measures, according to Ruotolo.
“I commend the tireless commitment of the investigators and prosecutors as they continue pursuing justice for every victim impacted by the alleged acts of the defendant,” said Ruotolo.
Centanni was taken into custody without incident Wednesday morning and was lodged in the Essex County Jail pending a detention hearing. He had been free on pretrial release with conditions following his initial arrest.
The ongoing investigation into Centanni’s activities has been led by Special Victims Unit Detective Joanne Son, and assisted by Elizabeth Police Department Detective Louis DeMondo and Special Agent Khela Vazquez of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), under the supervision of HUD Special Agent in Charge Christina Scaringi. Members of the Union County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit, under the leadership of Sheriff Peter Corvelli, previously assisted with the execution of a search warrant at Centanni’s office.
The U.S. Department of Justice has a separate, ongoing Fair Housing Act lawsuit against Centanni. Individuals can report sexual harassment and other forms of housing discrimination by contacting the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Hotline at 855-281-3339, or by emailing the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov.
Additional information about the federal civil suit is available at bit.ly/2NGJt79.
Any additional victims of Centanni who have yet to come forward and anyone with information about Centanni’s activities are urged to contact Detective Son of the Union County Prosecutor’s Office at 908-477-1698.
Email: alewis@njpressmedia.com
Alexander Lewis is an award-winning reporter and photojournalist whose work spans many topics. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up today for a digital subscription.