According to court documents filed on Monday, prosecutors have reached plea agreements with three men charged in the 2018 prison killing of the infamous Boston gangster, James “Whitey” Bulger.
Geas, a former Mafia hitman, and DeCologero, a Massachusetts gangster, allegedly assaulted Bulger by repeatedly striking him in the head, with McKinnon acting as a lookout.
Geas and DeCologero were quickly identified as suspects after Bulger’s death. However, despite the lengthy investigation, they went uncharged for several years.
Prosecutors in West Virginia federal court have requested the court to arrange hearings for the individuals to modify their pleas from not guilty to guilty and proceed with their sentencing. However, they have not disclosed any specific information regarding the plea agreements, as they have not yet been filed in court.
Belinda Haynie, the attorney representing Geas, chose not to provide a comment on Monday. Meanwhile, the attorneys representing the other two defendants have yet to respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.
Last year, the Justice Department made the decision not to pursue the death penalty for Geas and DeCologero, who faced murder charges. All three men were accused of conspiring to commit first-degree murder, an offense that could result in a lifetime imprisonment. Additionally, McKinnon was charged with providing false information to a federal officer.
James “Whitey” Bulger, the notorious leader of the predominantly Irish mob in Boston during the 1970s and ’80s, was not only a criminal mastermind but also an FBI informant. He betrayed his gang’s main rival while operating as a confidential source for the FBI. However, Bulger’s criminal career came to an end when he received a tip from his FBI handler that he was about to be indicted. Fleeing Boston in 1994, he spent over 16 years on the run, ultimately being captured at the age of 81.
In 2013, he faced a conviction for a series of 11 murders and numerous other gang-related offenses. It is worth noting that these crimes were allegedly committed during his time as an FBI informant.
According to a 2022 investigation by the Justice Department inspector general, the killing of James “Whitey” Bulger was attributed to a multitude of management failures, incompetence, and flawed policies within the Bureau of Prisons. While there was no evidence of “malicious intent” on the part of bureau employees, a string of bureaucratic mistakes ultimately left Bulger vulnerable to rival gangsters while incarcerated.
Geas, a trusted ally of the Mafia, served as an enforcer for their operations. However, due to his Greek heritage instead of Italian, he did not attain the official status of a “made” member. In 2011, he and his brother were convicted for life imprisonment for their involvement in numerous violent offenses. Among these crimes was the assassination of Adolfo “Big Al” Bruno, a prominent figure in the Genovese crime family based in Springfield, Massachusetts. According to prosecutors, Bruno was targeted by another mobster due to his cooperation with the FBI.
McKinnon, who had previously served prison time for stealing guns from a firearms dealer, was arrested on charges related to Bulger’s killing while on federal supervised release.
Read More:
- Hundreds of wrongful death lawsuits against nursing homes are being avoided through the use of immunity laws
- Westminster underdog steals the hearts of crowd at 2024 event
