Former Jacksonville Port Authority Chairman Tony Nelson pleaded not guilty Monday to 44 counts that include bribery, mail fraud, money laundering, conspiracy and lying to the FBI.
Accused co-conspirator Frank Bernardino, who federal prosecutors said funneled money to Nelson from a dredging company looking to buy Nelson's influence, similarly pleaded not guilty to his 36 counts.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Devereaux said during the arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Thomas Morris that it was likely the two men would face separate trials because of statements one or both have made implicating the other.
Preparing for those trials will take six to eight months, said attorneys for both men. The FBI has some 90 boxes of material they will have to comb through, including recordings from two months of wiretaps.
The case was assigned to United States District Judge Timothy Corrigan