Philadelphia Hitman Named in Murder of Jersey City Political Operative
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger has named one of the hitmen in the 2014 killing of 52 year-old Michael Galdieri, son of former State Sen. James Galdieri (D-Jersey City).
And today, that man, Bomani Africa, a/k/a “Baxter Keys,” pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit murder for hire before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez.
Africa was, according to the announcement, recruited by a conspirator from Connecticut in April 2014.
Several news outlets have reported that the Connecticut conspirator is named George Bratsenis, a former cellmate of Africa’s.
Political consultant Sean Caddle, 44, of Hamburg, New Jersey, who pleaded guilty in connection with Galdieri’s murder yesterday, first approached the unidentified conspirator from Connecticut about committing a murder for “thousands of dollars.”
Once both hitmen had signed on to the job, Caddle identified his former associate Galdieri, as the target.
On May 22, Africa and the conspirator from Connecticut went to Galdieri’s home on Mallory Ave. in Jersey City and stabbed him to death. Afterwards, they set the apartment on fire.
The following day, when Caddle learned that Galdieri had been murdered, he met the conspirator from Connecticut in the parking lot of a diner in Elizabeth and paid him thousands of dollars. That individual, in turn, share a portion of those proceeds with Africa.
Sean Caddle
In 1986, Africa was convicted on three counts of first-degree robbery, one count of aggravated assault, and one count of drug distribution. The court sentenced him to an aggregate term of fifty years, with a twenty-five-year period of parole ineligibility.
Galdieri had worked on the campaigns of former Assemblyman Lou Manzo, Mayor Bret Schundler and Ward C Councilman Steve Lipski and for Caddle’s consulting group.
In 2005 he ran for Jersey City’s Ward B city council seat. According to a 2014 article in the Hudson Reporter, Galdieri was arrested on drug and weapon charges on the eve of the election. After taking a plea deal and then attempting back out, saying he was set up, he spent two years in prison.
At the time of the murder, County Commissioner Bill O’Dea told the Jersey Journal that Galdieri was “a friendly, regular guy.”
Caddle worked as an aide to former State Sen. Ray Lesniak (D-Elizabeth) and headed up several super PACs to funnel dark money into local races. Caddle was executive director of the group Houston Votes which was accused of collecting fraudulent voter registration cards. According to the New York Times, he worked as a political consultant for Senator Robert Menendez when he was a congressman, from 2003 until early 2005, and billed almost $100,000.
Lesniak told the New York Times that Caddle was a “teddy bear” and had saved him from electoral defeat in 2011.
“This was a callous and violent crime, and this defendant is as responsible as the two men who wielded the knife,” U.S. Attorney Sellinger said. “There is no more serious crime than the taking of another person’s life. The defendant has admitted arranging and paying for a murder by two other people. His admission of guilt means he will now pay for his crime.”
Yesterday Caddle pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit murder for hire before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez. He faces a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
Judge Vazquez allowed Caddle to remain out on $1 million unsecured bond, home detention with electronic monitoring and travel restrictions.
Africa faces a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for June 7, 2022.
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