Program Focused on Combatting Sexual Harassment in Housing and Eliminating Environmental Hazards in HUD-Assisted HousingNEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis hosted a summit today focused on promoting the health, safety, and civil rights of tenants living in HUD-assisted housing. The program focused on combatting…

NEWARK, N.J. – A former city of Newark official who served as deputy mayor and director of the Newark Department Economic and Housing Development (DEHD) and served as executive vice president and chief real estate officer of the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation (NCEDC) today admitted conspiring with two Newark business owners to obtain corrupt payments intended to influence and reward him for assisting the business owners with…

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday against a Hampton-based landlord for using force and threats of force against African American victims, including a businessman, a city official in Newport News, and four tenants. The indictment further charged the landlord with defrauding tenants and the government to obtain rent relief benefits, housing assistance payments for public housing, and other funds to which he…

NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County man was sentenced today to time already served – 20 months – for conspiring to commit mortgage fraud, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Cabral Simpson, 47, of Orange, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty to Count One of an indictment charging him with conspiring to commit wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Julien X. Neals imposed the sentence today in Newark…

CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic City woman today admitted engaging in a fraudulent scheme through which she defrauded elderly victims of over $100,000, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.Victoria Crosby, 46, of Atlantic City, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on Nov. 16, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler in Camden federal court to an information charging her with wire fraud.According to documents filed in the case and…

NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County man today admitted that he conspired with others to commit mortgage fraud, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.  Cabral Simpson, 46, of Orange, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty to Count One of an indictment charging him with conspiring to commit wire fraud. According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court: Simpson, a real estate investor,…

NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey, woman pleaded guilty today to stealing over $1.5 million from over 100 victims made up mainly of non-profits, private schools, and religious institutions throughout New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Yezenia Castillo, 46, of Hoboken, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S District Judge Susan D. Wigenton, to an information charging her with one count each of wire fraud and tax…

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Merrifield couple was sentenced today for stealing at least nine people’s identities and using the stolen personal identifying information (PII) to fraudulently buy a luxury vehicle, lease high-end residences, and obtain loans and credit. According to court documents, Caprice Foster, 51, and Marcus Foster, 33, stole the PII of numerous people primarily through Mrs. Foster’s work as a real estate agent and timeshare…

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Merrifield couple was sentenced today for stealing at least nine people’s identities and using the stolen personal identifying information (PII) to fraudulently buy a luxury vehicle, lease high-end residences, and obtain loans and credit. According to court documents, Caprice Foster, 51, and Marcus Foster, 33, stole the PII of numerous people primarily through Mrs. Foster’s work as a real estate agent and timeshare…

NEWARK, N.J. – Newark Housing Authority (NHA)’s former director of information technology was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for using his position to embezzle NHA funds to purchase cellular telephones and other electronic devices, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Venancio Diaz, 57, of Jersey City, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian Martinotti in Newark federal court to an information…

NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man today admitted committing wire fraud and making false reports and statements to and for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Shenandoah Adams Sr., aka “Shane Adams Sr.,” 56, of New Providence, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas to one count of an indictment charging him with wire fraud and an…

NEWARK, N.J. – A member of the Newark Municipal Council and Board of Directors of the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation (NCEDC) today admitted scheming to obtain bribes and kickbacks and subscribing to a false personal tax return for 2018, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Joseph A. McCallum Jr., 66, of Newark, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini to an information charging him with one count…

NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 108 months in prison for conspiring to obtain mortgage loans to finance the sale of properties to unqualified buyers, securities fraud by inducing a victim into investing over $1.2 million into real estate companies under false pretenses, and violation of supervised release, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced. Maurice Bethea, 54, of Newark, previously…

NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 108 months in prison for conspiring to obtain mortgage loans to finance the sale of properties to unqualified buyers, securities fraud by inducing a victim into investing over $1.2 million into real estate companies under false pretenses, and violation of supervised release, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced. Maurice Bethea, 54, of Newark, previously…

The Justice Department announced today that Joseph Centanni, a landlord who has owned hundreds of rental units in and around Elizabeth, New Jersey, has agreed to pay $4.5 million in monetary damages and a civil penalty to resolve a Fair Housing Act (FHA) lawsuit concerning his sexual harassment of tenants and housing applicants for more than 15 years. This settlement, which still must be approved by the U.S. District Court for the District of…

NEWARK, N.J. – A former Newark city official and officer of the Newark Community Economic Development Corp. (NCEDC), along with two Newark business owners, were indicted today by a federal grand jury in connection with a conspiracy for the official to obtain corrupt payments intended to influence and reward him for assisting the business owners with the acquisition and redevelopment of various Newark-owned properties, Acting U.S. Attorney…

NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man was arrested today on charges of engaging in mortgage fraud, fraudulently obtaining an SBA loan, and stealing another person’s identity information, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced. Nathanael Zimmerman, 40, of Wyckoff, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count each of wire fraud, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to appear by videoconference this…

The owner of hundreds of rental units scattered across 18 residential properties in Elizabeth has been arrested and criminally charged with coercing more than a dozen of his tenants into sexual acts in exchange for financial relief, acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay V. Ruotolo and Elizabeth Police Department Chief Giacomo Sacca and Director Earl Graves jointly announced Monday. Joseph Centanni, 73, of Mountainside is charged with eight…

Defendants Allegedly Engaged in a Scheme to Purchase Real Estate at Fraudulently Depressed Short Sale Prices Resulting in Millions of Dollars in False Claims Submitted to HUD’s FHA Mortgage Insurance Program The United States has filed a civil complaint in federal court in Brooklyn seeking damages and penalties against three individuals and multiple companies alleged to have engaged in a wide-ranging mortgage fraud scheme to defraud the…

NEWARK, N.J. – A former City of Newark official and officer of the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation (NCEDC) and two business owners were charged today for their roles in a bribery scheme, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced. Carmelo G. Garcia, 45, of Hoboken, New Jersey; Frank Valvano Jr., 52, of Florham Park, New Jersey; and Irwin Sablosky, 60, of Springfield, New Jersey, are each charged by complaint with one count of…