Two men, Christopher Londonio and Terrance Caldwell, have been indicted on federal racketeering charges tied to a 2013 mob murder and an attempted hit on a Bonanno Family soldier. The charges, unsealed February 8, 2017, in White Plains federal court, allege that Londonio and Caldwell participated in a violent conspiracy rooted in La Cosa Nostra, culminating in the brutal killing of Michael Meldish in the Bronx on November 15, 2013.
The indictment charges Londonio and Caldwell with racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit murder, murder in aid of racketeering, and multiple firearms offenses. Caldwell faces additional charges of assault and attempted murder in aid of racketeering for allegedly shooting a Bonanno Family member in Manhattan on May 29, 2013. Prosecutors say the attack was retaliation for perceived disloyalty within the crime family.
Caldwell was presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa Margaret Smith on February 10, 2017, in White Plains. Londonio, already in custody on unrelated state charges, was transferred to federal custody and scheduled for arraignment the same day. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román, with an initial pre-trial conference set for February 15 at 1:45 p.m.
Preet Bharara, then U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, stated: “The mob continues to kill and maim in the name of La Cosa Nostra, and as alleged, Christopher Londonio and Terrance Caldwell did just that. In a misguided show of allegiance to this violent way of life, Londonio and Caldwell allegedly murdered Michael Meldish and attempted to kill a Bonanno Family soldier.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. emphasized that the Mafia is not a relic of the past. “The crimes members are accused of taking part in are violent and all too real for their victims. The men charged in this case allegedly committed murder, robbery, dealing illegal drugs and extortion to only name a few.” He credited the FBI’s Organized Crime Task Force with dismantling layers of criminal activity.
NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill called the indictment proof that mob violence persists. “As alleged, the defendants engaged in ruthless violence, including the murder of Michael Meldish in the Bronx and the attempted murder of a Bonanno soldier in Manhattan both in 2013.” He praised the joint efforts of NYPD detectives, FBI agents, and prosecutors from the Southern District and the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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