Political guide will get 24 years for paying hitmen to kill a colleague

NEWARK, N.J. — A New Jersey political guide who had two hitmen kill a colleague for $15,000 was sentenced to 24 years in federal jail on Thursday.

Sean Caddle, a 45-year-old former Democratic marketing campaign guide, pleaded responsible to conspiring to commit murder-for-hire within the killing of Michael Galdieri, whose residence was set on hearth after he was fatally stabbed in 2014.

U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez sounded skeptical of Caddle’s acceptance of any duty, saying it sounded as if he was making an attempt to “save his own skin” by cooperating with prosecutors in a separate tax and wire fraud case that led to a responsible plea from a former prime aide to the state Senate president.

“This is one of the most unusual and certainly one of the most heinous crimes I’ve encountered as a judge,” Vazquez mentioned.

Caddle, who had been out of jail on home arrest, was led away by U.S. Marshals after the listening to. He appeared earlier than the choose in an untucked button-down shirt and khakis. He didn’t communicate, following the recommendation of his lawyer Edwin Jacobs, apart from to inform the choose he wasn’t going to remark.

Two of Galdieri’s family members, who declined to present their names, stood shoulder to shoulder within the courtroom as one learn a press release from the household.

“How could I effectively articulate the impact that it has on you, that your brother was murdered and his apartment set on fire?” the girl mentioned.

She described a sense of “complete stupidity and regret” over crying in Caddle’s arms after her brother’s demise. She mentioned she thought on the time that he was a good friend of their household.

The case captured consideration when prosecutors introduced Caddle’s responsible plea in early 2022, apparently fixing the mysterious demise of Galdieri, the son of a former state senator, eight years earlier. Former Democratic state Sen. Raymond Lesniak, for whom Caddle labored for years, referred to as it the “most bizarre thing I’ve ever experienced in my life.”

And this week, prosecutors lastly revealed a motive for the hit: Caddle informed prosecutors he needed him lifeless as a result of Galdieri was threatening to extort cash from him in alternate for not exposing wrongdoing Galdieri claimed Caddle dedicated via his political consulting enterprise. Just what the wrongdoing might need been or how a lot cash Galdieri allegedly sought has not been made public.

Prosecutors acquired a fortunate break when one in all two ex-convicts who pleaded responsible to a 2014 Connecticut financial institution theft informed authorities – unprompted – that he had details about a homicide that very same 12 months. George Bratsenis was later sentenced to 16 years and Bomani Africa to twenty years after they finally pleaded responsible to serving to Caddle with the homicide.

Bratsenis and Africa had met whereas in a New Jersey jail the place Caddle’s now-deceased brother, James Caddle, additionally was serving time.

Bratsenis informed authorities that he went to work for Caddle, who invited him to his Jersey City dwelling for dinner in March or April of 2014. Caddle informed him he was conscious of his “extensive” legal historical past and requested if he may discover somebody to commit homicide for $15,000, Bratsenis mentioned.

Caddle mentioned he needed Galdieri lifeless inside a month and gave Bratsenis as much as $4,000 upfront, based on prosecutors.

On May 22, 2014, the Bratsenis and Africa drove collectively to the residence of Galdieri, who had been anticipating Bratsensis as a result of they’d mentioned robbing drug sellers collectively, authorities mentioned.

Not lengthy after letting the lads in, Galdieri was fatally stabbed by each males they usually doused his dwelling in gasoline and set it on hearth, based on authorities.

A day later, Bratsenis and Caddle met within the car parking zone of a diner the place Caddle paid him the remaining cash. He didn’t carry sufficient initially, nevertheless, and needed to withdraw extra from the checking account of his political consulting enterprise, prosecutors mentioned.

Interviewed about Galdieri’s demise that very same day, Caddle informed prosecutors about Galdieri’s drug use however didn’t disclose his position within the killing, they mentioned.

Prosecutor Lee Cortes, talking in courtroom Thursday, described Caddle’s help was helpful and vital, however the severity of his crime couldn’t be neglected.

“Caddle had a lifelong friend murdered in cold blood. That’s one of the most serious crimes that can be admitted,” he mentioned.

A prosecutor’s memo describes Caddle as “cold-hearted” and says he even attended the repast after Galdieri’s funeral.

Prosecutors sought a 15-year sentence although life in jail is the minimal for conspiracy to commit a murder-for-hire that ends in a demise. Some of the sentencing memo was redacted, however prosecutors famous that Caddle’s historical past didn’t embrace different violent crimes and mentioned he cooperated with investigators.

It grew to become clear in courtroom Thursday that Caddle’s cooperation helped result in a responsible plea in November, when a former prime aide to the state Senate president admitted to tax and fraud costs associated to political consulting he did with Caddle. By inflating political invoices, the previous aide made $107,800 and did not pay taxes, prosecutors mentioned.

Prosecutors described how Caddle had quite a few conferences with them and handed over paperwork and recordings, with out which costs in that case would have been tough to carry.