Former New Jersey political consultant admits to hiring hitmen to take out associate

A one time political consultant in New Jersey has plead guilty to hiring two hitmen to take out a longtime associate of his who also worked for him on a number of campaigns, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger.

The murder plot took shape in April of 2014 when Sean Caddle of Hamburg, New Jersey took his plan to a conspirator in Connecticut -- offering thousands of dollars in exchange for the hit -- and one in Philadelphia and asked them to take out the soon to be victim.

Both accomplices then traveled from out of state on May 22, 2014 to an apartment in Jersey City where the victim lived and was then stabbed to death.

When the victim -- (identified as Michael Galdieri, son of former State Senator James Galdieri, by the NewJerseyGlobe) -- was dead, both murder accomplices set fire to the apartment.

Caddle then met with the first accomplice in the parking lot of a diner in Elizabeth, New Jersey to pay him for the murder and that accomplice shared in the blood money with the other accomplice.

The now 44-year old Caddle -- who spent time as an aide to former New Jersey State Senator Ray Lesniak and as a Democratic political consultant, according to the New Jersey Globe -- has now plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit murder for hire and faces a maximum potential penalty of life in prison while having to pay a $250,000 fine.

At the moment, the judge has allowed Caddle to remain out of jail on a $1-million unsecured bond, home detention with electronic monitoring and travel restrictions.

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“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 in a statement. “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 in a statement. “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.”

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee M. Cortes Jr., Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Health Care Fraud Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Farrell, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit.