Sean Caddle, a 45-year-old former Democratic political consultant from New Jersey, received a 24-year federal prison sentence for orchestrating the murder of his colleague, Michael Galdieri, in 2014. Caddle had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire. Galdieri was stabbed to death and his apartment set ablaze.
During the sentencing, U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez expressed skepticism about Caddle's remorse, suggesting Caddle's cooperation with prosecutors was motivated by self-preservation. Judge Vazquez described the crime as one of the most heinous he had encountered.
Members of Galdieri’s family were present in the courtroom. One relative, who chose to remain anonymous, read a statement expressing the family's devastation and betrayal, noting that they had considered Caddle a friend. She described the pain of having mourned in Caddle's arms after her brother's death, unaware of his involvement.
Caddle claimed he ordered the hit because Galdieri was threatening to expose illicit activities related to Caddle's political consulting work. Two accomplices, George Bratsenis and Bomani Africa, who were involved in a separate bank robbery case, confessed to assisting Caddle with the murder. Bratsenis testified that Caddle offered him $15,000 to find someone to carry out the killing, providing an upfront payment of $4,000. Bratsenis and Africa went to Galdieri's apartment under the guise of planning a robbery, where they stabbed him and set the apartment on fire.
