HE was once the most wanted man on the FBI’s books with a multi-million dollar price tag on his head.
On Monday, former Boston crime boss James “Whitey” Bulger was convicted of 11 killings and a string of underworld offences of racketeering and conspiracy charges.
Now the 83-year-old will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Bulger was convicted of committing or playing a role in the killings during the 1970s and ’80s while he led the Winter Hill Gang, Boston’s Irish mob.
In 1984, he helped ship a large consignment of weapons to the IRA on the Marita Ann ship only for it to be intercepted.
His main contact inside the IRA was veteran leader Joe Cahill.
For 17 years he stayed one step ahead of the FBI as a fugitive from justice after fleeing Boston ahead of a 1994 indictment.
However, he stayed elusive for so long as he had a number of FBI agents in his pocket.
In 2011, Bulger was captured in Santa Monica, California.
He is accused of shooting or strangling some of the victims himself. In other cases, he allegedly ordered the slayings or participated in some other way.
Bulger was also found guilty of racketeering and conspiracy charges.
The jury began its fifth day of deliberations on a 32-count racketeering indictment that includes 19 killings.
Prosecutors say Bulger was a longtime FBI informant who was protected by corrupt FBI agents.
Bulger’s lawyers deny that he was an informant and say he paid FBI agents to get information about wiretaps and investigations so he and his cohorts could stay one step ahead of the law.
Within the main racketeering charge against Bulger are 33 separate criminal acts, including all of the killings.
The jury must find that Bulger committed at least two of the acts within 10 years of each other to find him guilty of racketeering.
The jury heard testimony from 72 witnesses and saw 840 exhibits during the two-month trial.
In their first hour of deliberations today the jurors asked that if they find a person named in the indictment guilty of a crime, are they to “automatically” find Bulger guilty as well?
In her response, US District Judge Denise Casper said jurors they must find Bulger guilty separately.
But she stressed portions of her earlier jury instructions that explained that even if a defendant didn’t commit the actual murder, he’s still guilty under the racketeering statute if he knowingly participated in the murder “by counseling, hiring, or otherwise procuring such felony to be committed.”
The verdicts:
Count 1: Racketeering Conspiracy – Guilty
Count 2: Racketeering Substantive Offense – Guilty
Racketeering Act No. 1: Conspiracy to Murder Members of the Notorangeli Group – Not proved
Racketeering Act No. 2: Murder of Michael Milano – Not proved
Racketeering Act No. 3: Murder of Al Plummer – Not proved
Racketeering Act No. 4: Murder of William O’Brien – Not proved
Racketeering Act No. 5: Murder of James O’Toole – Not proved
Racketeering Act No. 6: Murder of Al Notorangeli – Not proved
Racketeering Act No. 7B: Murder of James Sousa – Not proved
Racketeering Act No. 8: Murder of Paul McGonagle – Proved
Racketeering Act No. 9: Murder of Edward Connors – Proved
Racketeering Act No. 10B: Murder of Thomas King – Proved
Racketeering Act No. 11: Murder of Francis “Buddy” Leonard – Not proved
Racketeering Act No. 12: Murder of Richard Castucci – Proved
Racketeering Act No. 13B: Murder of Roger Wheeler – Proved
Racketeering Act No. 14: Murder of Debra Davis – No finding
Racketeering Act No. 15: Murder of Brian Halloran – Proved
Racketeering Act No. 16: Murder of Michael Donahue – Proved
Racketeering Act No. 17A: Conspiracy to Murder John Callahan – Proved
Racketeering Act No. 17B: Murder of John Callahan – Proved
Racketeering Act No. 18: Murder of Arthur “Bucky” Barrett – Proved
Racketeering Act No. 19: Murder of John McIntyre – Proved
Racketeering Act No. 20: Murder of Deborah Hussey – Proved
Racketeering Act No. 21: Extortion Conspiracy: “Rent” –
Racketeering Act No. 22: Extortion of Richard O’Brien –
Racketeering Act No. 23: Extortion of Kevin Hayes – Not proved
Racketeering Act No. 24: Extortion Conspiracy: “Fines” – Proved
Racketeering Act No. 25: Extortion of Michael Solimando – Proved
Racketeering Act No. 26: Extortion of Stephen Rakes and Julie Rakes – Proved
Racketeering Act No. 27: Extortion of Richard Bucheri – Proved
Racketeering Act No. 28: Extortion of Raymond Slinger – Not proved
Racketeering Act No. 29: Narcotics Distribution Conspiracy – Proved
Racketeering Act No. 30: (Concealment) Money Laundering Conspiracy – Proved
Racketeering Act No. 31: (Concealment) Money Laundering (Sale of 295 Old Colony Ave., South Boston, Massachusetts) – Proved
Racketeering Act No. 32(A): (Concealment) Money Laundering (Sale of 295 Old Colony Ave., South Boston, Massachusetts) – Proved
Racketeering Acts No. 32(B) – 32(PPP): (Concealment) Money Laundering (Mortgage Payments) – Proved
Racketeering Act No. 33: (Concealment or Promotion) Money Laundering (Transfer of $10,000 to John Martorano) – Proved
Count 3: Extortion Conspiracy: Rent – Guilty
Count 4: Extortion of Kevin Hayes – Not guilty
Count 5: Concealment Money Laundering Conspiracy – Guilty
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