Infamous Boston Mob Boss, Whitey, Receives Two Life Terms Plus Five Years for Serious Federal Crimes

On Thursday, November 14th, infamous Boston-area mob boss Whitey Bulgar was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences, plus an additional 5 years, related to a slew of serious federal crimes including racketeering, murder, extortion, money laundering, narcotics distribution, and obstruction of justice.

Bulgar operated in Boston primarily throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s. After he received a tip from an FBI informant in 1994, Bulgar fled Boston and took up residence in Santa Monica, California, with his girlfriend. He was not captured until 2011, after spending most of his life on the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted List.

Bulgar is currently 84 years old, and it is unlikely he will live long enough to serve most of his sentence. He was found guilty of numerous federal crimes on August 12th.

“Your conduct merits the most severe penalty,” U.S. federal Judge Denise Casper said in handing down the sentence. “The scope, the callousness, the depravity of your crimes, are almost unfathomable,” she said in a public tongue-lashing of the former boss of the Winter Hill Gang. “Your crimes were all the more heinous because they were all about money … Make no mistake, it takes no business acumen to take money from folks on the other end of the gun.”

Casper also ordered Bulgar to pay $19.5 million in restitution.

“The testimony of human suffering that you and your associates inflicted on others was at times agonizing to hear and painful to watch,” Casper said.

Bulgar barely spoke during the federal crimes sentencing hearing – he only murmured the word “Yes” when asked if he knew he could appeal the decision. He also refused to look at the families of his 11 murder victims.

During the federal crimes trial, however, Bulgar was defiant, saying the court case was a “sham,” and refusing to testify or provide information to probation officials. Prosecutors referred to Bulgar as a sociopath, while dozens of relatives of his murder victims called Bulgar a punk, a terrorist, and even Satan.

Bulgar’s long-time girlfriend, Catherine Greig, pleaded guilty to federal crimes including conspiracy to harbor a fugitive, and conspiracy to commit identity fraud, in 2012, and is currently serving an 8-year prison sentence.

The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Federal Crimes including 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, wire fraud, extortion, or other federal crimes. 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