Sean Caddle sentenced to 24 years in prison for 2014 slaying

Sean Caddle, a Democratic political consultant whose guilty plea in a murder-for-hire scheme 17 months ago set New Jersey’s political world buzzing with speculation, was sentenced to 24 years in federal prison Thursday.

Lawyers for Caddle, 45, and prosecutors argued for a lesser sentence, citing his cooperation with federal investigators in other cases, including one that in November led to criminal charges against Tony Teixeira, the former chief of staff of Senate President Nicholas Scutari, a Union County Democrat.

But U.S. District Court Judge John Michael Vazquez wasn’t swayed by Caddle’s cooperation, saying it was just to “save his own skin.” After Caddle hired two men to kill a friend in 2014 — a murder that remained unsolved for nearly a decade — he continued to commit crimes, including tax fraud, Vazquez noted.

“I consider Mr. Caddle to be the most responsible in this scheme. It’s a cold-hearted killing,” Vazquez said. “He killed a friend.”

After the hour-long sentencing hearing, during which Caddle declined to speak, he was immediately taken into custody by U.S. Marshals and led out of the courtroom.

In January 2022, Caddle, a former campaign consultant, admitted to hiring hitmen to kill his friend and colleague Michael Galdieri. The plea came eight years after Galdieri was stabbed to death in his Jersey City apartment, which was set ablaze by the hired killers.

According to sentencing documents, Caddle told prosecutors that Galdieri extorted him, threatening to go public about “things he had seen, done and heard while working for Caddle on campaigns.” Caddle also told prosecutors that Galdieri was using drugs and asking him for money.

Caddle feared this would ruin his career, and “made the fateful decision to have him killed,” the documents say.

Galdieri’s relatives, who spoke during Thursday’s hearing, gave a thumbs up to reporters when asked if they were satisfied with Caddle’s sentence.

The case captured the attention of New Jersey politicos because Caddle has worked with prominent figures, including former state Sen. Ray Lesiniak and U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez.

In court Thursday, one of the prosecutors handling the case, Lee Cortes, said Caddle’s cooperation led to Teixeria pleading guilty to tax evasion and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, adding that prosecutors would not have a strong case with Caddle’s information.

Caddle was caught after the hitmen he hired — Bomani Africa and George Bratsenis — pleaded guilty to robbing a bank, and one of them admitted to Galdieri’s murder. The two hitmen pleaded guilty and were sentenced earlier this year, Africa to 20 years and Bratsenis to 16.

According to prosecutors, Bratsenis met Caddle for dinner in Jersey City in the spring of 2014, where Caddle informed Bratsenis that he was aware of his criminal background and asked him if he knew anyone who would commit a murder for $15,000.

Bratsenis brought the idea to Africa, and the two began stalking Galdieri. On May 22, 2014, they entered his apartment and stabbed him to death before dousing his apartment with gasoline and setting it on fire. One day later, Caddle met Bratsenis in an Elizabeth diner parking lot to pay him.

The day of Galdieri’s death, Caddle was interviewed by Hudson County officials, Vazquez said. He did not disclose his role in the murder but told them about Galdieri’s drug use and pointed law enforcement in other directions, according to the sentencing documents.

Caddle even attended the repast after Galdieri’s funeral, family members said, and they grieved with the person they would eventually discover was behind the murder.

“This was one of the most unusual and most heinous crimes I have encountered as a judge,” said Vazquez. “It was a depraved, debased, vile crime.”

Prosecutors said Caddle’s cooperation with them is over. They also noted that Caddle partook in Teixeira’s tax crimes, but will not face charges for that in exchange for his cooperation.

Teixeira is set to be sentenced on July 24.