George Norcross III indicted. Who was charged? What are the charges?

Ed Forbes, NorthJersey.com
Updated ·3 min read
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George Norcross III, the Democratic Party power broker from South Jersey who has had significant influence on New Jersey politics for decades, was indicted Monday on racketeering charges brought by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin.

What does the Norcross indictment allege?

A 13-count indictment alleges Norcross and five associates obtained both property and property rights on the waterfront in Camden, collected millions of dollars in government-issued tax credits and controlled and influenced government officials to further their own interests for property and property rights through coercion, extortion and other criminal acts. Norcross and his associates, including his brother, Philip Norcross, were each charged with first-degree racketeering.

Rep. Donald Norcross, another of Norcross' brothers who represents New Jersey's 1st Congressional District as a Democrat, was not implicated or charged.

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Platkin details charges: George Norcross III, South Jersey’s Democratic power broker, faces racketeering charges

Who was charged by the NJ attorney general?

Platkin's office detailed who was charged in the case:

  • 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. Since 1989, he has 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 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.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: George Norcross III indictment: Who was charged?