A landlord in Elizabeth, N.J. faces a 42-charge indictment for alleged intercourse crimes dedicated towards 30 of his tenants. Picture courtesy of the Union County Prosecutor’s Workplace.

He allegedly owns a whole lot of rental items scattered throughout 18 properties in Elizabeth, New Jersey’s fourth-most populated metropolis positioned throughout Newark Bay from New York Metropolis.

Centanni, of Mountainside, is alleged to have taken benefit of tenants who have been scuffling with hire or financially typically, going through eviction and individuals who have been homeless by soliciting “intercourse acts” from them in change for a spot to dwell.

Victims have been allegedly provided decreased hire, delayed eviction or normal monetary help.

“He additionally purportedly threatened tenants who hesitated or refused his advances with eviction or different retaliatory measures,” prosecutors mentioned within the press launch.

Victims assorted in age between 22 and 61 years outdated and have been female and male.

Prosecutors say Centanni owns a whole lot of items throughout 18 properties.

The owner faces 23 counts of second-degree sexual assault and 19 counts of fourth-degree felony sexual contact.

In accordance with the prosecutor, convictions for second-degree crimes are “generally punishable by phrases of 5 to 10 years in state jail on every rely,” whereas fourth-degree crimes are topic to 18 months in jail per rely.

Centanni was arrested in June 2021 and indicted final Thursday. In December 2021, he agreed to pay $4.5 million in damages and penalties for sexually harassing tenants and candidates for tenancy for greater than 15 years.

“The necessity for housing is a fundamental human want,” mentioned Appearing U.S. Lawyer Rachael A. Honig of the District of New Jersey.

“Joseph Centanni exploited that want, and the necessary federal applications that try to satisfy it, by threatening to disclaim his victims a roof over their heads if they didn’t undergo his calls for for sexual acts.”

He’s free on monitored launch, in line with NBC Information.