False teeth, fine art and a ‘Bag Man’: new details emerge in murder plot
The case seemed to have all the ingredients to become the next major political scandal in a state known for public corruption.
Sean M. Caddle, a New Jersey political consultant with deep knowledge of campaign-raising strategies, had pleaded guilty to hiring two men to kill an associate, Michael Galdieri. The lawyer of Mr. Caddle – who made his name as a representative of reputable mobsters – voluntarily testified in open court that his client was cooperating with the FBI to “establish an important investigation.”
And unlike the plea deals made by the men he hired, Mr. Caddle allowed him to await sentencing in an unusual place: his home.
Given the status of Mr. Caddle as one of the street residents whose clients included local officials, state legislators and a U.S. Senator, political insiders in New Jersey anxiously waited for the next set of handcuffs to drop.
Looks like they’ll keep waiting.
On Thursday, Caddle, 45, is set to face sentencing in federal court in Newark — an indication that the investigation may end after only yielding one politically-related conviction, from a legislative aide.
Mr. Caddle faces life in prison. But federal prosecutors have recommended a 15-year prison sentence for his role in the conspiracy to kill Mr Galdieri, noting his “cold-hearted” decision to attend the dead man’s funeral reception.
The lawyers of Mr. Caddle argue that his cooperation and lack of criminal record warrant an even shorter sentence: nine years.
Whatever happens, the secrets he takes to prison could be huge.
Heavily redacted lawsuits and reports from the detectives who initially investigated the death of Mr. Galdieri, a self-proclaimed “bag man” and “envelope man,” offer a tasteless glimpse into a world of drug abuse, online hookups and a supposed piece of high-quality art . (The editors leave open the possibility that the prosecutors are not done yet.)
The documents also provide the clearest picture to date of what prosecutors say was Mr. Caddle’s motive for paying two career criminals $15,000 to kill 52-year-old Mr. Galdieri: extortion.
Mr Caddle told prosecutors that Mr Galdieri, who had spent time in prison on drug charges, reminded him of his brother, and that he often hired him to do low-ranking campaign work.
But at some point in their relationship, prosecutors say in a sentencing memo, Mr. Galdieri began demanding “money and favors” from Mr. Caddle in exchange for not disclosing “things he had seen, done and heard” when he worked for Mr Caddle. Caddle on campaigns.
To solve the problem, Mr. Caddle turned to someone with experience: George Bratsenis.
Mr. Bratsenis had met Mr. Caddle’s brother in a New Jersey jail, and after he got out, Mr. Caddle hired him to work on a Senate campaign.
At dinner in early 2014, prosecutors say, Mr Caddle asked Mr Bratsenis, who was convicted of the 1984 murder of a drug runner, if he could help him find a hit man.
Mr Bratsenis turned to Bomani Africa, whom he had also met in prison and later robbed banks. The two decided to take the job and Mr. Caddle gave clear instructions: the murder must take place within 30 days.
The men confessed to killing Mr. Galdieri after being charged with several Connecticut bank robberies. Apparently they offered leniency, both implicated Mr Caddle and have since been sentenced to long prison terms.
In submitting their pleas, Mr. Bratsenis and Mr. Africa gave detailed accounts of how they stabbed Mr. Galdieri in the home office of his Jersey City apartment shortly after he opened his front door to them.
The killers then doused the apartment with gasoline and set it on fire. A digital camera, laptop, cell phone and notebook were left behind, according to documents from the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, first reported by north jersey. com. Firefighters also found dentures under Mr. Galdieri’s body and a glassine pipe on a nearby desk.
“This was not just a fleeting crime of passionnel,” prosecutors wrote. “It was a carefully planned, premeditated crime.”
Not found that night was an object that, according to prosecutors’ reports, caught the attention of investigators: a painting Mr Galdieri owned, which he said was an original by the celebrated Art Deco painter Tamara de Lempicka.
Many of those who came into contact with Mr. Galdieri and were interviewed during the investigation said he believed the painting was worth millions of dollars. He had solicited investors with the idea that they would profit if the painting were sold.
Could the artwork be involved in the murder?
No, it turned out. It was safe in a guitar case with Mr. Galdieri’s brother.
“Recently, their cousin introduced them to a big boy named Mario, who protected them from people in the art world,” a detective wrote after interviewing the brother.
What emerged mostly about Mr. Galdieri’s life in the early stages of the investigation was much less sophisticated: a portrait of a man focused on his next methamphetamine fix with few friends but many sexual partners, most of whom he met online.
“He said Michael was dirtying a lot of people,” a detective wrote after interviewing a man who said he bought drugs from Mr Galdieri.
In addition to plans to assassinate Mr. Galdieri, prosecutors wrote in the sentencing memo, Mr. Caddle conspired with the legislative aide, Antonio Teixeira, to enrich himself by inflating campaign bills.
Mr Teixeira, who until last year was chief of staff to Nick Scutari, a Democrat and Senate President, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud and tax evasion. He awaits judgment.
As for Mr Caddle’s sentencing, if it goes according to plan, his 18 months under house arrest will come to an end – a period that included his eviction for failing to pay the rent at the Hamburg, NJ mansion where he , his wife and their three children lived. In April, he received permission to rent a U-Haul to move his family to an apartment a mile away.