Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Role in Murder for Hire

NEWARK, N.J. – A Philadelphia man was sentenced today to 240 months in prison for conspiring with Sean Caddle and a longtime accomplice to murder one of Caddle’s associates, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.    

Bomani Africa, 62, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit murder for hire. Judge Vazquez imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.

Caddle pleaded guilty on Jan. 25, 2022, before Judge Vazquez, to his role in the murder scheme and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 22, 2023.    

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

In April of 2014, Caddle solicited another conspirator, George Bratsenis, 74, of Monroe, Connecticut, to commit a murder on Caddle’s behalf in exchange for thousands of dollars. Bratsenis then recruited Africa, a longtime accomplice, to join the plot. After Bratsenis confirmed his and Africa’s interest in the job, Caddle told Bratsenis that the target was a longtime associate who had worked for Caddle on various political campaigns. 

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

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

In addition to the prison term, Judge Vazquez sentenced Africa to five years of supervised release.

Bratsenis pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy on March 24, 2022, and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 29, 2023.

U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office for its assistance.

The government is represented by Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee M. Cortes Jr. and Sean Farrell, Chief of the New York Office of the U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division.