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Powerful New Jersey businessman George E. Norcross III, his prominent attorney brother, and others on Tuesday denied accusations that they schemed to acquire waterfront property in Camden by threatening to ruin the business reputations and finances of key stakeholders.

Norcross, the executive chairman of insurance brokerage Conner Strong & Buckelew LLC, Parker McCay PA CEO Philip A. Norcross, and Brown & Connery LLP partner William M. Tambussi, George Norcross' longtime personal attorney, all pled not guilty to racketeering and other charges stemming from their alleged roles in a decade-long conspiracy.

High-Profile Defendants Maintain Innocence

Co-defendants Dana L. Redd, the former mayor of Camden, and John J. O'Donnell, CEO of development company The Michaels Organization, also maintained their innocence before Superior Court Judge Peter E. Warshaw Jr. in Mercer County.

Sidney R. Brown, the CEO of logistics firm NFI, was also charged in the scheme and will be arraigned Aug. 7. Brown and O'Donnell are partners along with George Norcross in the groups that own the properties at issue, and Philip Norcross is the registered agent for the entities.

Counsel for George Norcross, Michael Critchley Sr. of Critchley Kinum & Luria LLC, said his client "emphatically states" he is not guilty, calling Tuesday's court proceeding the "first step in the journey to get fairness."

Conner Strong CEO Allegations : Attorney General's Allegations

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced the charges last month at a press conference attended by George Norcross, who sat flanked by his attorneys.

On Tuesday, Critchley accused Platkin of being involved in a "jihad to get George Norcross" and called the charges a "press release disguised as an indictment."

"It's a lot of words, a lot of pages with a lot of allegations," Critchley said outside the Mercer County Superior Court House. "But one thing it does not have is the element of a crime."

The 111-page indictment accuses the "Norcross Enterprise" of using their power and influence to help craft legislation making it easier for projects in Camden to receive tax credits and then, with help from city officials, strong-arm the acquisition of three waterfront properties through threats and coercion.

Conner Strong CEO Allegations : Defense Counsel's Reactions

Counsel for Philip Norcross, Kevin Marino of Marino Tortorella & Boyle PC, dismissed the idea of a "Norcross Enterprise" as a "figment of a prosecutor's imagination."

"Every lawyer in the state should be alarmed," Marino said, adding his client was simply doing what attorneys do every day — zealously advocating for his client.

"It's an attempt to take a business person and those who associate with him and represent him and make his conduct criminal," Marino said. "This is not an indictment that can withstand a motion to dismiss. It does not allege a crime."

Tambussi's attorney, Jeffrey S. Chiesa of Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC, reiterated Marino's call to dismiss the charges.

"The Attorney General indicted him for zealously representing his clients; there is no allegation in the indictment that Mr. Tambussi did anything other than effectively represent his clients, as he was obligated to do. That is not a crime," Chiesa said in a statement to Law360.

Counsel for Redd, Henry Klingeman of Klingeman Cerimele Attorneys, said in a statement that his client did nothing wrong and has served the Camden community in public and non-profit roles for more than three decades.

Conner Strong CEO Allegations : Prosecutors' Evidence

According to prosecutors, George Norcross admitted in a recorded call to threatening the developer who held the rights to two lots along the Camden waterfront, stating he wanted the developer to "cry uncle."

He is also accused of unlawfully intervening in the sale of a separate waterfront property by directing then-Camden Mayor Redd to have Philip Norcross meet regularly with the seller, ultimately forcing the nonprofit to sell the property to a developer of the enterprise's choice at a fraction of the cost.

Authorities say that in addition to obtaining the development rights to the properties through unlawful means, entities owned by Norcross, Brown, and O'Donnell received millions in tax credits that they have since started to sell.

One of the waterfront properties is now home to Triad1828, the tallest building along the Camden waterfront and home to the headquarters of Norcross' insurance brokerage, as well as NFI and The Michaels Organization. The other property is the site of 11 Cooper, a residential development owned by a Norcross, Brown, and O'Donnell entity, prosecutors said.

Fallout and Legal Representation

In the weeks since the indictment was unsealed, The Michaels Organization announced O'Donnell has taken a leave of absence. Tambussi has been removed from his seat on the Rutgers University Board of Governors after a university professors union challenged his eligibility in state court because he does not live in Camden County.

The state is represented by Michael Breslin, Andrew Wellbrock, Michael Grillo, Adam Klein, and Amanda Nini of the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General.

George Norcross is represented by Michael Critchley Sr. of Critchley Kinum & Luria LLC. Philip Norcross is represented by Kevin Marino of Marino Tortorella & Boyle PC. William Tambussi is represented by Jeffrey S. Chiesa of Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC. Dana Redd is represented by Henry Klingeman of Klingeman Cerimele Attorneys. John O'Donnell is represented by Gerald Krovatin of Krovatin Nau LLC. Sidney Brown is represented by Lawrence S. Lustebrg of Gibbons PC.