NEWARK, N.J. (WCBS 880) — The case of the 2014 murder of Michael Galdieri, son of late former State Senator James Galdieri, is starting to come together.
On Tuesday, Jersey City political consultant Sean Caddle, 44, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder for hire. Prosecutors did not release the names of the victim or the suspects, but NJ.com reported the circumstances of the case matched the death of 52-year-old Michael Galdieri, Caddle's long-time associate whose death had gone unresolved for years.
Firefighters discovered the body of Galdieri, 52, on May 22, 2014 after responding to a two-alarm fire in his second floor apartment where he lived alone. Police said Galdieri was found with multiple stab wounds and believed the fire was set as a cover-up for the murder.
After his appearance before the U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez in Newark, Caddle was freed on a $1 million unsecured bond and confined to his home with travel restrictions and electronic monitoring. He faces the potential for a life sentence and a fine of $250,000.
Court filings indicate Caddle agreed to plead guilty in October but it was kept confidential until this week. Caddle’s plea agreement said he is cooperating with the U.S. Attorney’s Office on other, unspecified crimes.
On Wednesday, another accomplice to the incident pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit murder for hire. According to court documents, Bomani Africa, 61, of Philadelphia was recruited to join the scheme by another unnamed accomplice who had been hired by Caddle. Africa and the other individual allegedly traveled to Galdieri’s apartment on May 22, 2014, and both stabbed the victim. They proceeded to set fire to his apartment, the court documents read.
The following day, the unnamed accomplice met with Caddle in the parking lot of an Elizabeth, N.J. diner and was paid thousands of dollars for the murder, the court documents said. The unnamed individual then met up with Africa and paid him a portion of the money.
Africa will also face the potential of a life sentence for his role in the murder and a $250,000 fine. He is scheduled to be sentenced June 7.
A motive for the murder has not been disclosed nor the amount Caddle paid the two men for the job.
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