New Jersey AG Vows To Continue Pursuing Racketeering Charges Against Camden Kingpin

George Norcross III and his five co-defendants likely celebrated on Wednesday when a judge dismissed racketeering charges stemming from alleged threats they made to amass waterfront properties in Camden.

But the young prosecutor who took on the South Jersey power broker isn’t tapping out.

“Show me a corruption prosecutor who’s never suffered a setback, and I’ll show you somebody who has never taken on a tough and righteous case,” New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin told The Philadelphia Inquirer Thursday after vowing to appeal the decision.

Platkin said he has respect for Mercer County Superior Court Judge Peter Warshaw but panned the decision to dismiss a 13-count indictment against the insurance firm executive.

“We’re not aware of a judge ever granting a motion like this one, without so much as even bothering to read the thousands of pages of grand jury testimony,” Platkin told the Inquirer. “And I think that’s extraordinary and sends a message that there are two systems of justice: one for the wealthy and well-connected and one for everybody else.”

Norcross and his co-defendants were indicted in June. They were accused of collecting millions through improper tax breaks and exerting political influence to obtain properties, including one where the Triad1828 Centre was eventually built. 

That building, the tallest structure on Camden’s waterfront, is hard to miss for pedestrians walking east on Market Street in Old City. It is the headquarters for the insurance company Conner Strong & Buckelew, where Norcross is an executive chairman.

The charges stem from a dispute Norcross got into with Philadelphia developer Carl Dranoff, who held property rights in Camden that impacted Norcross’ plans.

The insurance executive told Dranoff he would “fuck you up like you’ve never been fucked up before,” Platkin alleged last year.

In his opinion dismissing the charges, Warshaw wrote that the indictment “must be dismissed because its factual allegations do not constitute extortion or criminal coercion as a matter of law.” He also found that many of the allegations in the indictment took place years ago and fell outside the statute of limitations.

“George Norcross’ ‘threat’ may be boorish and indecorous,” Warshaw wrote. “His statement does not satisfy any reasonable person’s view of how something as important as how Camden’s waterfront redevelopment plans should be decided.”

But he added that Norcross’ alleged conduct didn't constitute criminal behavior.

“The court is not called upon to consider whether the redevelopment could have proceeded in a better, more fair, less political way,” Warshaw wrote. “The court is asked to evaluate whether this ‘threat’ was criminal.”

Platkin dismissed allegations from the Norcross camp that he was pursuing the indictment as a way to further his own political career. 

“[I’m] not running for anything,” he told the Inquirer.

“It’s very easy and convenient to create a narrative … that the misconduct that we’ve uncovered is because I have ulterior motives, when the reality is the misconduct that we uncovered and have prosecuted, not just in this case, but in many others, is a result of poor decisions made by people in positions of authority who abused that trust.”