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Criminal Law

New Jersey Landlord Charged With Sex Crimes Against 13 Tenants

The owner of hundreds of rental units scattered across 18 residential properties in Elizabeth has been arrested and charged with coercing at least 13 of his tenants into sexual acts in exchange for financial relief, according to the Union County Prosecutor’s Office.

Joseph Centanni, 73, of Mountainside is charged with eight counts of second-degree sexual assault, one count of second-degree attempted sexual assault, and 14 counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact in connection with incidents taking place at various times from 2016 into 2020, acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay V. Ruotolo and Elizabeth Police Department Chief Giacomo Sacca and Director Earl Graves jointly announced Monday. If convicted, second-degree crimes are commonly punishable by terms of 5 to 10 years in state prison.

Centanni was taken into custody Friday morning and is in the Union County Jail pending a first appearance and detention hearing scheduled to take place in Union County Superior Court at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

Read the source article at nbcnewyork.com

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