Longtime NJ Democrat Political Boss Indicted on Racketeering Conspiracy Charges
Tuesday, June 18, 2024
William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews
George E. Norcross III threatened the developer that he would “f**kyou up like you've never been f**ked up before.
~From the Indictment
TRENTON, NJ (June 17, 2024)(CNBNEWS)--George E. Norcross III, also known as King George, the long-time South Jersey Democratic political boss, has been indicted today on racketeering charges by the State of New Jersey. Five others included in the indictment are Philip A. Norcross, George’s brother, Dana L. Reed, former Camden City Mayor William Tambussi, Sidney Brown, and John O’Donnell.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin stated that 68-year-old Norcross, along with the others named in the 111-page indictment, allegedly committed first-degree racketeering conspiracy and other offenses to advance the Norcross enterprise.
Platkin made a bold accusation, stating that George Norcross led a "criminal enterprise" in South Jersey. The enterprise allegedly utilized political influence to manipulate economic redevelopment along the Camden, New Jersey waterfront to favor the defendants' financial interests.
Furthermore, Platkin claims that they coerced and extorted others to secure property rights and tax incentive credits associated with the development efforts.
The indictment stated,
“When the developer would not relinquish his rights on terms preferred by George E. Norcross III, he threatened the developer that he would, in substance and in part, “f**k you up like you’ve never been f**ked up before and told the developer he would make sure the developer never did business in Camden again.”
“The entities that benefitted, including Cooper Health and [the insurance firm Conner Strong & Buckelew CSB] then occupied the properties they obtained interests in and sold the tax credits they obtained for millions of dollars,” the indictment said.
George Norcross, an insurance executive and former member of the Democratic National Committee, was chair of the board of trustees of Cooper University Health Care and chair of the law firm Conner Strong & Buckelew. That law firm was recently named risk manager for the City of Gloucester City.
Norcross sat in the front row at the press conference Platkin gave on the charges Monday in Trenton.
“The indictment unsealed today alleges that George Norcross has been running a criminal enterprise in this state for at least the last twelve years,” said Platkin.
“On full display in this indictment is how a group of unelected, private businessmen used their power and influence to get the government to aid their criminal enterprise and further its interests,” the attorney general said. “The alleged conduct of the Norcross Enterprise has caused great harm to individuals, businesses, non-profits, the people of the State of New Jersey, and especially the City of Camden and its residents.”
“That stops today,” Platkin added.
According to the AG’s press release the indictment available here alleges that from as early as 2012 through the present, the Norcross Enterprise used its power and influence over government officials to craft legislation tailored to serve the interests of the enterprise, and with the cooperation of then-Camden Mayor Dana Redd and other officials, used parts of the city’s government to aid the enterprise in acquiring property and property rights for itself and others through coercion, extortion, and other criminal acts. All six of the following defendants are charged with first-degree racketeering:
- George E. Norcross, III, 68, of Palm Beach, Florida, is executive chairman of the insurance firm Conner, Strong & Buckelew and chairman of the board of trustees for Cooper Health.
- Philip A. Norcross, 61, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is an attorney and the managing shareholder and CEO of Parker McCay, a New Jersey law firm. Philip Norcross also serves on the board of Cooper Health and is the registered agent for the groups that own buildings in Camden that are the subject of the criminal allegations.
- William M. Tambussi, 66, of Brigantine, New Jersey, is an attorney and partner at the law firm of Brown and Connery. He is the long-time personal attorney to George Norcross. From 1989 to present he also served as counsel to the Camden County Democratic Committee – which George Norcross chaired from 1989 to 1995. Tambussi has also served as outside counsel to the City of Camden, the Camden Redevelopment Agency, Cooper Health, and Conner Strong.
- Dana L. Redd, 56, of Sicklerville, New Jersey, is currently the CEO of Camden Community Partnership, which was formerly Cooper’s Ferry Partnership. She previously served as a member of the Camden City Council, the New Jersey Senate, and from 2010 to 2018 was the Mayor of Camden, and she is alleged to have abused that position to benefit herself and the Norcross Enterprise.
- Sidney R. Brown, 67, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the CEO of NFI, a trucking and logistics company. He also serves as a member of the board at Cooper Health, and is a partner in the groups that own several of the Camden buildings at the center of the allegations.
- John J. O’Donnell, 61, of Newtown, Pennsylvania, has been in the executive leadership of The Michaels Organization, a residential development company, in a variety of roles including COO, President, and CEO. He is also a partner in the groups that own several of the Camden buildings at the center of the allegations. He has also served on the Board of Cooper’s Ferry Partnership at various times since 2018.
The defendants are also charged with various counts of financial facilitation, misconduct by a corporate official, and official misconduct and conspiring to commit theft by extortion, criminal coercion, financial facilitation, misconduct by a corporate official, and official misconduct.
“The indictment unsealed today alleges that George Norcross has been running a criminal enterprise in this state for at least the last twelve years,” said Attorney General Platkin in announcing the charges earlier today. “On full display in this indictment is how a group of unelected, private businessmen used their power and influence to get government to aid their criminal enterprise and further its interests. The alleged conduct of the Norcross Enterprise has caused great harm to individuals, businesses, non-profits, the people of the State of New Jersey, and especially the City of Camden and its residents. That stops today. We must never accept politics and government – that is funded with tax dollars – to be weaponized against the people it serves. Today we reaffirm that no one in our state is above the law – period.”
All of the offenses charged in the 111-page indictment are violations of the first and second degrees. First-degree charges carry a sentence of 10 to 20 years in state prison and a fine of up to $200,000. The crime of first-degree racketeering is subject to the No Early Release Act, and thus carries a mandatory 85% parole disqualifier. It also exposes criminal defendants to the potential for additional financial penalties – including the forfeiture of ill-gotten proceeds from their criminal activity – which, as the indictment makes clear, the State intends to seek in this case. Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000. The offense of official misconduct carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years for public officials convicted of that offense related to their office.
These charges and allegations are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
The arraignment for the defendants is scheduled for July 9 at 10 a.m., before Superior Court Judge Peter E. Warshaw Jr. in Mercer County.
The indictment comes following a long-term investigation led by the Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, with investigative support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Newark and Philadelphia Field Offices, under the leadership of Special Agents in Charge James E. Dennehy and Wayne Jacobs respectively; as well as the Division of Criminal Justice, under the leadership of Director J. Stephen Ferketic and Chief Weldon Powell; and the New Jersey State Police, under the leadership of Colonel Patrick Callahan. Attorney General Platkin also acknowledged the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, under the leadership of U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Romero, and the District of New Jersey, under the leadership of U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger, for their contributions to the case.
Deputy Director Michael Breslin, Assistant Attorneys General Andrew Wellbrock and Michael Grillo, along with Deputy Attorneys General Adam Klein and Amanda Nini, are prosecuting the case under the supervision of Executive Director Drew Skinner and former Executive Director Thomas J. Eicher, who is set to retire at the end of the month. This investigation has been led by Special Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Sergeant Erin Bancroft, Detective Ryan Vivarelli, and State Investigator Paul Donahue of the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability; and Detective Sergeant Ryan Gillespie of the New Jersey State Police.