Courtroom Drama in New Jersey: Norcross and Brown Request Dismissal of the Case

A high-profile criminal case involving George Norcross, an influential figure in New Jersey's political landscape, and Sidney Brown, CEO of NFI, is reaching a new peak. The defendants recently petitioned the Superior Court in Mercer County to dismiss the charges. The dispute centers around real estate issues that significantly contributed to the indictment. The current lawsuit by Carl Dranoff and his companies against Norcross and others—excluding Brown—brings additional details to light. Dranoff, a prominent developer from Philadelphia, sees his investments on the Camden waterfront threatened by what prosecutors call the "Norcross enterprise." In their latest motion to dismiss, the defendants' attorneys argue that the matter involves merely ordinary economic negotiations among businesspeople and not criminal actions. In the civil lawsuit filed in the Superior Court of Camden County, Brown is mentioned only marginally. He is not a named defendant in the civil case conducted by the Victor Urban Renewal Group, Dranoff Properties, and Carl Dranoff himself. The criminal indictment by Attorney General Matthew Platkin anonymously refers to Carl Dranoff as "Developer 1." The mention of "John Does" and "ABC Corporations" in the civil lawsuit leaves the door open to add additional defendants later. However, a source close to the case emphasizes that neither Brown nor NFI will be among future defendants. The central issue in the legal dispute revolves around tax incentives that New Jersey approved in 2013 for developments in economically disadvantaged areas like Camden. Dranoff had claims to these incentives through prior investments, which displeased Norcross and his allies, including Brown. Under pressure from the Norcross group, Dranoff eventually relented and sold his development rights and other interests in Camden. Norcross and his network utilized the tax incentives to promote projects such as the NFI headquarters in a Camden office tower. In his lawsuit, Dranoff describes how the actions of Norcross and his allies drove him out of the region and sent a warning to potential new investors. Norcross and Brown's motion to dismiss emphasizes that the incidents took place nearly a decade ago and notes that federal prosecutors in New Jersey and Philadelphia had previously declined to pursue the matter. "This is a crime story without a crime," say the attorneys. Brown is represented in the motion by Lawrence S. Lustberg, Noel L. Hillman, and Anne M. Collart of the Newark law firm Gibbons P.C.