Whitey Bulger's Killers Sentenced After Accepting Plea Agreement
In late 2024, three men were sentenced for their roles in the 2018 prison murder of James "Whitey" Bulger. The sentences came after the three men accepted plea agreements from federal prosecutors
Background
In previous articles, Tales From the Underworld covered the rise and fall of South Boston gangster and racketeer James “Whitey” Bulger and his unholy alliance with the FBI. For more than 16 years, Bulger remained one of the most wanted fugitives in the United States.
Bulger went on the run in 1994 after being tipped off by his FBI handler, John Connolly, about impending indictments. He was eventually arrested in June 2011 in Santa Monica, California, and extradited to Boston to stand trial in federal court for a litany of crimes.
In August 2013, Bulger was found guilty on multiple racketeering and murder charges and was given two life sentences.
In October 2018, Bulger was moved from a federal prison in Florida to the Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma and was then transferred to United States Penitentiary Hazelton, in West Virginia. The prison, known as “Misery Mountain,” has a well-earned reputation for violence.
On October 30, less than 24 hours after he arrived at USP Hazelton, the 89-year-old wheelchair bound gangster was beaten to death by other inmates.
Bulger’s Killers
The investigation into Bulger’s murder dragged on for several years, until finally, in August 2022, three inmates were charged. The three men, Foitos “Freddy” Geas, 55, Paul DeCologero, 48, and Sean McKinnon, 36, were all indicted on first-degree murder charges.
Rather than proceed to trial, in May 2024, the three men reached a plea agreement with the U.S. attorney’s office in the Northern District of West Virginia.
Sean McKinnon, who was serving time at USP Hazelton for firearms convictions at the time of Bulger’s death, had already been released by the time he was indicted in August 2022.
In June 2024, McKinnon pled guilty to lying to federal agents. In exchange, prosecutors dropped charges related to Bulger’s murder. McKinnon was sentenced to 22 months, and since he had been locked up since August 2022, he was credited with time served and released
Paul J. DeCologero was serving time at USP Hazelton after being convicted of racketeering and witness tampering. DeCologero was part of a North Shore drug organization with alleged mafia ties.
In 2006, DeCologero was sentenced to 25 years in prison for his involvement in the organization and for witness tampering surrounding the investigation of a 19-year-old woman who was murdered by members of the gang in 1996.
In August 2024, federal prosecutors agreed to drop charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for his involvement in Bulger’s death. In exchange, DeCologero pled guilty to assault resulting in great bodily injury. He was then sentenced to 51 months.
Foitos “Freddy” Geas
As part of his plea agreement, Foitos “Freddy” Geas admitted that he beat Bulger to death after an argument inside Bulger’s cell in the early morning hours of October 30, 2018.
Prison surveillance footage shows Geas and DeCologero entering Bulger’s cell shortly after 6:00 a.m. and exiting approximately six minutes later. Geas admitted to striking Bulger repeatedly in the head, after which he and DeCologero placed Bulger’s body on his bed and covered it with blankets.
Bulger was found unresponsive by prison staff shortly after 8:30 a.m. Bulger’s cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma to the head.
As part of his plea agreement, Geas was sentenced to 15 years for manslaughter and 10 years for assault resulting in serious bodily injury. However, these sentences were merely a formality because Geas was already serving a life sentence.
Foitos “Freddy” Geas and his brother Ty were raised in West Springfield, Massachusetts, and became mob enforcers for Anthony Arillota, a member of the Springfield faction of the New York-based Genovese crime family.
In 2003, Aritolla, Geas, and others conspired to murder Genovese captain Adolfo “Big Al” Bruno, who was the boss of the Springfield faction of the family. On November 23, 2003, Bruno was shot to death after leaving a Springfield social club.
The killer was soon identified as Frankie Roche. Described as a “fringe player” in the city’s rackets, Roche was a one-time cellmate of Geas.
That same year, Arillota allegedly recruited Geas and others to kill Arillota’s brother-in-law, Gary Westerman, a local drug dealer who disappeared in November 2003. His remains were found in April 2010.
Following their arrests, both Roche and Arillota agreed to cooperate and testify against the Geas brothers in exchange for lighter sentences. In September 2011, Foitos and Ty Geas were sentenced to life in prison in a U.S. District Court in Manhattan.
BOP Negligence
Perhaps the most significant outcome for the United States government and the Federal Bureau of Prisons regarding the plea agreements was the fact that there would not be a trial.
Had there been a trial, many questions would have likely been raised, such as why Bulger, who was in poor health, was suddenly transferred to a penitentiary with a well-known reputation for violence, and placed into the general population when he had previously been held in segregation units for his protection.
Since the news of Bulger’s longtime relationship with the FBI was common knowledge and had been well documented, prison officials were certainly aware that he would have been a target.
By placing Bulger in close proximity to Geas, the BOP was, at best, incredibly negligent and, at worst, maliciously deliberate.
Nathan Chambers, one of Geas’s lawyers, commented, “Although BOP’s conduct was shocking, there’s nothing I can say today that is going to lead to reforms by BOP.” Chambers also called prison officials’ conduct “not only egregious, but purposeful.”
Retired Massachusetts State Police detective lieutenant Steve Johnson, who spent decades investigating Bulger and helped convict him, said, “A trial would have been a better way to figure out what really happened…(now) It just goes away, which is what everybody in the federal government wanted to happen to begin with.”
Sources:
Murphy, Shelley. “In ‘final chapter,’ Bulger’s killer sentenced to 25 years.” The Boston Globe, 7 September 2024, https://www.newspapers.com/image/1118285794/?match=1&terms=geas
Barry, Stephanie. “Chapter closes in Bruno Killing.” The Republican, 13 September 2011, https://www.newspapers.com/image/1076240729/?match=1&terms=geas
Raby, John. “Inmate sentenced for role in prison killing of Boston gangster James ‘Whitey’ Bulger.” PBS, 1 August 2024, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/inmate-sentenced-for-role-in-prison-killing-of-boston-gangster-james-whitey-bulger
Helmore, Edward. “Accused lookout in James ‘Whitey’ Bulger prison killing gets time served.” The Guardian, 17 June 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jun/17/james-whitey-bulger-lookout-sean-mckinnon-sentenced
Retired Massachusetts State Police detective lieutenant Steve Johnson, who spent decades investigating Bulger and helped convict him, said,
“A trial would have been a better way to figure out what really happened…(now) It just goes away, which is what everybody in the federal government wanted to happen to begin with.”
FBI
Interesting read!