A man from Mansfield Township, New Jersey, has been charged with molesting two men who rented rooms at his residence, Burlington County prosecutors said on Wednesday.
Prosecutors said the investigation into 60-year-old Craig Cardella began in Dec. 2024, when a man who had rented a room from Cardella reported to Mansfield Township police that he woke up in the middle of the night to find Cardella in his bed.
Cardella was also holding a mask over the man’s face and nose and was touching him sexually, prosecutors said.
After searching Cardella’s residence, police found two bottles of chloroform, prescription sleep medication, medical masks, a camcorder and digital storage devices in his safe, prosecutors said.
Investigators believe Cardella used chloroform on his victims to prevent them from waking up, prosecutors said.
Cardella was indicted in Dec. 2025 with 17 counts of first-degree kidnapping, 18 counts of third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact and other related offenses, prosecutors said.
Cardella has plead not guilty, prosecutors said.
Cardella’s alleged interactions with the two men are believed to have taken place over separate time periods, with both lasting for several months, prosecutors said.
The identities of the two victims are being withheld by prosecutors to protect their identities.
Anyone who believes they may have also been a victim of Cardella are urged to contact Detective Ken Allen at allen@mansfieldpd.org.
