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Court affirms conviction of Pagan biker who helped plot radio host’s murder

Ferdinand Augello in court
Ferdinand “Freddy” Augello, 62, at his sentencing to life in prison for involvement in Kauffman murder (Craig Matthews / The Press of Atlantic City, pool photo)Craig Matthews

The New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division affirmed the the 2018 conviction of a Pagan biker who plotted the murder of popular radio host April Kauffman in order to protect a pill-dealing scheme he had set up with her husband, authorities said.

Three judges handed down the ruling on April 20 that the trial of Ferdinand ‘Freddy’ Augello, 65, of Petersburg, was fair and impartial, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office announced Monday.

“Our ability to earn a conviction on this case has restored confidence in the office of the Atlantic County Prosecutor to solve cases when others failed to try,” Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner said in a statement. ”To think that this case was referred to as cold and that this defendant and his coconspirators who orchestrated the murder of April Kauffman were permitted to walk around free among us is troubling.”

Augello was found guilty on Oct. 2, 2018 of murder, murder conspiracy, racketeering and drug charges after only a few hours of jury deliberations.

April Kauffman, 47, was found dead in the master bedroom the second floor of her home in Linwood at around 11:30 a.m. on May 10, 2012 after her husband James M. Kauffman reported finding her there, the office said. She had sustained multiple gunshot woulds, authorities said.

An investigation by the office found that a long-term deal between James Kauffman, a former doctor, and members of the Pagan Outlaw Motorcycle Gang to use his medical practice for illegal drug distribution, authorities said.

James Kauffman would give free prescriptions to people sent by Augello, who had at least two others recruiting for him to obtain the scripts, the office said. In turn, they recruited additional people to receive the OXY scripts. Augello would receive either a cash payment of $1,000 per script or a predetermined number of pills once the script was filled, authorities said. Those without insurance were required to pay $100 per visit. Those that would receive the scripts would either resell them or use them.

By the summer of 2011, James Kauffman solicited Augello to murder his wife, the office said. This was likely motivated by her threats of divorce and Kauffman stated he would sooner kill April than grant the divorce and lose “half his empire,” authorities said.

After he objected to a divorce settlement, April Kauffman threatened a number of actions to obtain divorce, officials said. In addition to her attempt to spend as much money as she could until a divorce was granted, April also threatened to expose the fraudulent and unlawful practices taking place at her husband’s medical office, authorities said.

Augello propositioned a number of Pagans, former Pagans or people associated with the Pagans to murder April Kauffman and was unsuccessful for almost a year, authorities said. James Kauffman was getting restless until Augello found Francis Mullholland, authorities said.

Ultimately, Mulholland was driven to the Kauffman home on May 10, 2012, the prosecutor said. The doors were open and someone gave him a gun, with which he shot April twice in her bedroom, he said.

Mulholland later died of a drug overdose in 2013 at 46. Augello placed the blame on him during a speech he gave when he was sentenced to 55 years in state prison in December 2018.

The pill ring continued for five years after April Kauffman’s death. But in June 2017, James Kauffman was arrested after a standoff with police, who had attempted to serve a warrant for a weapons charge.

Augello started talking about having Kauffman killed in jail, becoming suspicious of him after seeing a letter from Kauffman’s attorney urging the investigation of Augello and Mulholland, prosecutors said.

Kauffman was later transferred to the Hudson County Jail after authorities became aware of threats on his life. He later hanged himself in his cell when his cellmate was in court for the day.