NJ political operative admits to masterminding murder that baffled investigators for years

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New Jersey Democratic political consultant Sean Caddle. / Twitter

NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey-based Democratic political consultant today admitted hiring two men to kill a longtime associate who had worked for him on various political campaigns, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Sean Caddle, 44, of Hamburg, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit murder for hire.

“This was a callous and violent crime, and this defendant is as responsible as the two men who wielded the knife,” U.S. Attorney Sellinger said. “There is no more serious crime than the taking of another person’s life. The defendant has admitted arranging and paying for a murder by two other people. His admission of guilt means he will now pay for his crime.”

“Today’s guilty plea will bring some sense of closure to the victim’s family who have been left to wonder – for nearly eight years – who murdered their loved one,” Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. said. “This should serve as a warning to criminals and potential criminals, alike – while you are going about your life, thinking you ‘got away with it,’ the FBI is piecing together the facts that will serve as your undoing.”

According to documents and statements made in court:

In April of 2014, Caddle solicited one of his conspirators (identified as “CC-1”), a Connecticut resident, to commit a murder on Caddle’s behalf in exchange for thousands of dollars. CC-1 then recruited a longtime accomplice from Philadelphia (identified as “CC-2”), to join the plot.

On May 22, 2014, CC-1 and CC-2 traveled from out of state to the victim’s apartment in Jersey City. After entering the apartment, CC-1 and CC-2 stabbed the victim to death and then CC-1 set fire to the victim’s apartment.

After Caddle learned the following day that the victim had been murdered, he met CC-1 in the parking lot of a diner in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Caddle paid CC-1 thousands of dollars in exchange for the murder, and CC-1 shared a portion of those proceeds with CC-2.


While the victim was not named, local media identified him as Michael Galdieri, 52. A motive remains unknown.

U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez allowed Caddle to remain out on $1 million unsecured bond, home detention with electronic monitoring and travel restrictions.

Caddle faces a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

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