New Jersey Lending Company Accused of Racial Discrimination in Loan Approvals

State Investigation Finds Probable Cause Against Advance Funding Partners and Its Owner

The New Jersey Division on Civil Rights (DCR) has issued a Finding of Probable Cause against Advance Funding Partners/Same Day Funding, a lending company based in Ocean, New Jersey, for allegedly denying financial services to prospective clients based on race, national origin, and nationality in violation of the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD).

According to Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, the DCR’s investigation uncovered evidence that the company’s owner, Joseph Jurasic, explicitly directed employees not to do business with certain racial and ethnic groups, instructing them to avoid working with “Chinese, African, and Spanish” individuals. Evidence includes audio recordings of Jurasic reinforcing this policy and instructing staff not to “waste your time with the Chinese, with the Africans, and Spanish.”

“No one should ever be denied a loan based on their race or national origin. No one should ever be subject to retaliation for filing a discrimination complaint. And no one should ever be subject to a hostile work environment based on race or national origin,” said Attorney General Platkin. “The Finding of Probable Cause issued by DCR today should be a wake-up call for anyone who thinks that discrimination or hate are a thing of the past in our state. We will send the message as often as we need to until everyone understands: if you violate our civil rights laws, we will hold you accountable.”

Allegations of Workplace Discrimination and Retaliation

The DCR’s findings also indicate that Advance Funding maintained a hostile work environment, where employees—including Jurasic—circulated racist and offensive messages through a company WhatsApp group. The investigation stemmed from a complaint filed by a former employee in February 2023, who reported the company’s discriminatory practices. Shortly after filing, the employee received a vulgar voicemail from Jurasic, allegedly threatening him with a defamation lawsuit. Feeling intimidated, the employee later resigned.

Despite the employee withdrawing the complaint, DCR continued its investigation, citing public interest. Investigators found additional evidence that Jurasic refused to lend to other ethnic groups, including Armenians and non-U.S. citizens, and that he generally avoided doing business with clients who were not fluent in English.

Destruction of Business Data

During the investigation, DCR subpoenaed Advance Funding for records of loan denials. However, Jurasic informed authorities that the company had ceased operations in September 2024 and had destroyed all relevant data.

Based on the findings, the DCR determined that there is reasonable suspicion that Advance Funding and its owner violated the LAD by:

• Denying services based on race, national origin, and nationality
• Retaliating against a former employee for filing a discrimination complaint
• Maintaining a hostile work environment
• Constructively discharging an employee through intolerable working conditions

The DCR also found evidence that Jurasic and company agent Victor Milano could be held personally liable for aiding and abetting these violations.

The issuance of a Finding of Probable Cause indicates that DCR has concluded its preliminary investigation and found sufficient evidence to suggest violations occurred. The case will now move to conciliation, where both parties may attempt to negotiate a resolution. If no agreement is reached, a Deputy Attorney General will prosecute the case in either the Office of Administrative Law or court.