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Hitmen say politically connected NJ murder was over stealing; one sentenced to 20 years
By
Nancy Solomon
Published Feb 23, 2023
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Mark Makela/Getty Images
By
Nancy Solomon
Published Feb 23, 2023
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A federal judge in Newark handed down a 20-year sentence on Thursday to one of three men convicted of a strange and politically connected murder-for-hire plot.
The sentence for 62-year-old Bomani Africa of Philadelphia is the first in the 2014 murder of Michael Galdieri, who was stabbed to death in his Jersey City apartment, which was then set ablaze. Africa and another man he’d previously met in prison, George Bratsenis, have both admitted executing a hired hit on Galdieri on behalf of political operative Sean Caddle.
Africa, Bratsenis and Caddle each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder for hire last year. Both Caddle and Bratsenis are scheduled to be sentenced in March.
Galdieri, the son of a former state senator, was involved in low-level political work – including working for Caddle on campaigns.
For the first time, a motive was disclosed. According to Judge John Michael Vazquez, the hitmen say Caddle hired them because Galdieri had stolen from him. Vazquez didn’t give details about what or how much was stolen.
The sentence was longer than what the federal prosecutor requested. In addition to the 20 years in prison, it includes five years of supervised release.
“Without his assistance, I don’t think we would be standing here,” said Lee Cortes, executive assistant U.S. attorney for New Jersey. Cortes asked the judge to sentence Africa to between 15 and 18 years, saying he’d cooperated with the investigation.
Africa and Bratsenis told prosecutors that they were hired by Caddle in September 2014 for $15,000, according to a sentencing report referenced during the hearing.
At the time, Africa and Bratsenis were on a crime spree that involved a bank robbery and carjacking in Connecticut. They admitted they stabbed Galdieri to death and set his Jersey City apartment on fire with gasoline. They were paid by Caddle afterward in a diner, all of the defendants have said, according to Vazquez.
The judge said he did not accept the idea that Africa had cooperated in a timely fashion. Africa was arrested in 2015 in connection with the bank robberies, and offered to testify against Bratsenis for those crimes.
“He didn’t disclose that he committed a murder,” Vasquez said. It was Bratsenis who then told prosecutors about the Galdieri murder.
Last week, Africa was separately sentenced to a decade in prison for the bank robberies. Bratsenis had previously been sentenced to eight years for one of the robberies..
Africa, who was dressed in a yellow prison jumpsuit for the sentencing on the conspiracy to commit murder charge on Thursday, tried to explain to the judge why he didn’t disclose the murder.
“I’ve never cooperated about anything in my life. I didn’t know I had to cooperate on the murder,” Africa said.
Tagged
public safety
new jersey
Politics
Nancy Solomon
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