Infamous Whitey Bulgar Trial Finally Ends with Conviction for Racketeering and Murder
On Monday, August 12th, infamous Boston mob boss James “Whitey” Bulgar was found guilty of RICO violations, racketeering and murder of 11 people in the 1970’s and 1980’s.
Bulgar, 83 years old, was found guilty on several federal counts including racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, extortion, money laundering, narcotics distribution conspiracy, and illegal firearms charges. His 16-year run from the law and 7-week trial exposed the depths of FBI corruption and mob activity.
He was also found guilty of the murders of Deborah Hussey, John McIntyre, Arthur Bucky Barrett, John Callahan, Michael Donahue, Brian Halloran, Roger Wheeler, Richard Castucci, Thomas King, Edward Connors, and Paul McGonigle.
Originally, Bulgar was charged with the murders of 19 people, but the jury found that the prosecution did not prove Bulgar killed Michael Milano, Al Plummer, William O’Brien, James O’Toole, James Sousa, the Notorangeli group, Al Notorangeli, Francis Buddy Leonard. There were no findings in the murder of Debra Davis.
Over the course of 7 weeks, prosecutors called 63 witnesses to the stand, while the defense called 15 witnesses over one week. Jury deliberations spanned 32 and a half hours.
Whitey Bulgar’s Run from Racketeering and Murder Charges
In 1994, Bulgar fled Boston after a retired FBI agent, who had worked closely with Bulgar during his time in the Boston mob, tipped him off about Bulgar’s indictment for racketeering and murder charges. Bulgar had been a mob informant, in part to keep his own illegal activities safe. In 2011, he was finally captured in Santa Monica, California, with his girlfriend.
Bulgar has not received his sentence yet, but as one of the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted, he will likely spend the rest of his life locked away.
“He will spend the rest of his life in prison, far away from the beaches of Santa Monica and far away from the streets of Boston,” U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz said.
Bulgar was not allowed to claim he had immunity for helping the FBI, so his attorneys say the mob boss will likely appeal his conviction.
Court papers did reveal that Bulgar agreed to forfeit $822,000 seized from his hideout in California, but he insisted on holding onto a Stanley Cup ring that was a gift.
The Strom Law Firm Can Help with RICO Defense and Murder Charges in South Carolina
Racketeering refers to illegal acts carried out by leaders of an organization or syndicate in which they can be tried for crimes that they ordered or assisted with, without having to actually commit the crime themselves. For example, if someone orders another to kill a person, that person may be charged with racketeering.
RICO offenses can include, but are not limited to
- Gambling
- Murder
- Kidnapping
- Extortion
- Arson
- Robbery
- Bribery
- Embezzlment
- Money laudering
- Acts of terrorism
Given the possible consequences at stake, it is critical that you contact a RICO defense attorney who can protect your rights and provide you an aggressive and well planned defense against murder charges, kidnapping indictments, or wire fraud charges. Contact the criminal defense attorneys at the Strom Law Firm, LLC for a free consultation to discuss the facts of your case. 803.252.4800
