Hit man in NJ political murder-for-hire case sentenced to 20 years in prison

One of the two professed hit men in New Jersey's bizarre murder-for-hire case of a Jersey City political operative was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in prison by U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez in federal court in Newark.

Paterson native Bomani Africa, 62, also known as Baxter Keys, is the first of three men to face punishment for the murder of Michael Galdieri, who was found dead in his home office on May 22, 2014 with multiple stab wounds to his neck, head and torso. His second-floor Jersey City apartment had been set aflame.

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Galdieri’s friend and business associate, Sean Caddle, 45, pleaded guilty in federal court in January 2022 to conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and is on home confinement with an ankle monitor, awaiting sentencing in March.

Judge Vazquez, reading through the facts of the case, revealed for the first time the motive behind the murder. He said Caddle was angry that Galdieri had been stealing money from him.

Vazquez, who described the murder as "depraved, debased, vile," expressed skepticism that Africa was truly remorseful, and said it appeared to him Africa only cooperated out of "self-protection" because he was "dimed out" by the other hit man in the plot, George Bratsenis, who first told the government about the murder.

Vazquez questioned why Africa did not confess to the murder as he was cooperating with federal officials on the bank robbery case, and only admitted to it after being confronted.

"It seems like two criminals trying to work the system and it not working out for either of them," Vazquez said. "It seemed like he was playing chicken with Mr. Bratsenis ... It was mutually assured destruction."

Africa told the judge he regretted his crimes, and understood how his victims felt because he felt the fear that he was going to die for three days after contracting COVID-19, and he still experiences shortness of breath and heart flutters. He said he had never been a cooperator before, and didn't know he could also give information about Galdieri's murder.

Africa's wrists were shacked in front of him with a chain that also wrapped around his waist. He wore a lemon yellow jumpsuit. The two U.S. Marshals who escorted him in sat a few feet away.

"Every day I sit back and I replay that incident," Africa said. "Would I have made different choices? Yes. I'm not the same person I was."

In addition to the 20-year sentence, Vazquez also sentenced Africa to five years supervised release. He waived the fine, and said that the court reached out to Galdieri's family about restitution, but did not hear back.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Caddle, a political consultant, hired Bratsenis to kill Galdieri, offering him $15,000 and paying him $2,000 to $4,000 up front for the crime.

Bratsenis, who served prison time for masterminding a string of jewelry thefts in North Jersey, recruited Africa, his accomplice from Philadelphia whom he had previously met in prison.

On May 22, 2014, Galdieri let the two men into his house and they stabbed him to death, prosecutors said. Bratsenis doused the apartment in gasoline from a red plastic gas can and set the apartment on fire.

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The next day, Caddle met with Bratsenis in the parking lot of an Elizabeth diner and paid him “thousands of dollars” for the job, which he split with Africa. Caddle had to go to an ATM because he did not have all the cash on hand, Vazquez said.

Africa, who pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme in early 2022, faced up to life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Prosecutors had recommended 15 to 18 years imprisonment. Africa has been incarcerated at the Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, Rhode Island, for seven years after pleading guilty to one count of armed bank robbery in December 2015.

Last Thursday, Africa was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment and three years supervised release, and ordered to pay nearly $30,000 in restitution, for a string of bank robberies he committed with Bratsenis in Connecticut in 2014. The murder-for-hire sentence will run concurrently.

Galdieri's murder "remained a cold case until two separate armed bank robberies in Connecticut set into motion an investigation that led to the discovery of the murder for hire scheme,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo for Africa.

"Without Africa's substantial assistance, I don't think we'd be standing here," said Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Cortes.

Vazquez had wanted to issue Africa a sentence of 25 to 26 years for the murder-for-hire plot, but reduced it to 20 to take into account the time Africa spent cooperating in the investigation.

Bratsenis was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for the bank robberies, and has not yet been sentenced for his role in the murder-for-hire case. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 29. Caddle is scheduled to be sentenced on March 22.

Africa’s attorney, Bruce Koffsky, signed a plea agreement on Africa’s behalf relating to Galdieri’s murder in December 2020. Bratsenis signed a plea agreement eight months later in August, followed by Caddle in November 2021.

Africa was first convicted of robbery when he was 18 and has had six robbery convictions, not including the 2014 Connecticut case, prosecutors wrote in court filings for the Connecticut robberies. He had a difficult childhood in an abusive household, joined a gang young, and started using hard drugs, according to a handwritten autobiography Africa wrote in an exhibit to his sentencing memorandum.

"His early childhood was a toxic stew," Koffsky said.

Caddle’s attorney said in court that his client is cooperating with the federal government on an investigation, but the topic and subject is unknown.

Caddle’s name appears in court documents in another case, involving Tony Teixeira, the former chief of staff to New Jersey Senate President Nicholas Scutari. Teixeira pleaded guilty in federal court to tax evasion and wire fraud charges in November.

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According to U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger, Teixeira conspired with Caddle to overcharge various campaigns, political action committees and nonprofits for work done by Caddle’s consulting firm, defrauding the groups — many affiliated with former state Sen. Ray Lesniak — out of a combined $107,800. Teixeira and Caddle then split the difference, and Teixeira never reported the earnings to the IRS, according to Sellinger.

The earliest public connection between the hit men, Caddle and Galdieri appear in a January 2019 federal search warrant obtained by NorthJersey.com.

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Federal agents raided Caddle’s house, searching for records linking Caddle to Galdieri, Africa and Bratsenis — such as emails, texts, notes, diary logs, call logs or other notes — as well as records for more than 50 super PACs, political parties, unions and corporations that pumped millions of dollars into elections throughout the state.

Have a tip about the murder-for-hire case or Caddle's cooperation? Email Ashley Balcerzak at balcerzaka@northjersey.com.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Hit man in NJ political murder-for-hire sentenced to 20 years