On 18 January 2026, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a crackdown on residential property owners in Lexington, Kentucky, who were involved in the sexual harassment of female tenants, violating the Fair Housing Act.
The perpetrator charged a fine of $850,000 (£631,000) and has agreed to settle the payment to resolve a lawsuit against two property managers, Adnan and Mohommed Shalash, allegedly involved in the harassment act.
According to Special Agent in Charge Shawn Rice of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG), Northeast Region, the arrests will serve as a reminder that 'those who abuse vulnerable tenants will be held accountable. '
HUD OIG will not tolerate property managers or anyone in positions of authority using housing as leverage to engage in sexual harassment or abuse and will continue to work with the US Attorney's Office to hold housing providers accountable for these actions,' he continued.
Background on Adnan and Mohommed Shalash's Offenses
According to legal filings from the US District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky in November 2024, amended in June 2025, Adnan and Mohommed Shalash have long been involved with tenant sexual harassment at different rental locations in Lexington, Kentucky.
Offense tactics used included transacting accommodation benefits for sexual contact, while other actions included making explicit comments and advances to female tenants against their will.
Moreover, other tactics included barging into the homes of female tenants without permission, forced sexual touches on female tenants, and taking unfavourable actions when they refused to comply with their sexual advances.
Involvement of Rental Property Companies
Adnan and Mohommed Shalash's sexual crimes have attracted legal actions against 17 rental realtors, including Fox Den Properties LLC and Griffith Market Inc, whose properties were being managed by the two.
Efforts to uncover the evidence leading up to the lawsuit were made with the support of the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector General.
As of now, defendants, which include stated rental property owners, are liable for the sexual harassment committed by their agents, Adnan and Mohommed Shalash, and when broken down, are to pay the fine sum, in one part, to the tenants harmed by both agents in the sum of $845,000 (£627,000), the balance, $5,000 (£3,713), in civil penalty to the United States.
Justice Department's Commitment to Tenant Safety
'Women should never feel unsafe in their own homes,' said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. 'The Justice Department is committed to vigorously protecting the rights of vulnerable tenants subjected to sexual harassment and holding housing providers and managers accountable when they violate the law.'
This settlement is a part of the Justice Department's Sexual Harassment in Housing initiative launched in October 2017 to curb sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers, and other people who have control over housing, and raise the needed awareness for potentially vulnerable victims.
Since its launch, the programme has helped with the filing of 52 lawsuits against rental property sexual harassment actors and the recovery of $18 million (£13.37 million) for victims.
The DOJ encourages anyone who is a victim of sexual harassment by a landlord, property manager, or any property stakeholder, or suffered other forms of housing discrimination, to reach out to the Justice Department's Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online. More information about the Civil Rights Division and its laws is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
Originally published on IBTimes UK
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