NEWARK, N.J. (Audacy) — A Philadelphia man has pleaded guilty in a Newark federal court to conspiring to murder the son of a former New Jersey state senator.
Bomani Africa, 61, pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to commit murder for hire in the killing of Michael Galdieri in 2014. He was the son of James Galdieri, who served in the New Jersey Senate from 1980 to 1982 and passed away in 2009.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Newark said one of Africa's co-conspirators, Jersey City political consultant Sean Caddle, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to the same charge as part of the plot to kill his long-time associate whose death had gone unresolved for years.
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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.
Both Africa and Gaddle, 44, face potential sentences of life in prison and $250,000 fines. Africa was scheduled to be sentenced on June 7.
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According to court documents, an unnamed accomplice who Caddle had hired recruited Africa to join the scheme.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said that Caddle had told the unnamed accomplice that Galdieri had worked for Caddle on political campaigns.
Africa and the other individual traveled to Galdieri’s apartment in Jersey City on May 22, 2014, and both stabbed the victim, and the unnamed person proceeded to set fire to his apartment, according to federal attorneys.
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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.
A motive for the murder has not been disclosed, nor the exact amount Caddle paid Africa and the other person for the job.
