On Thursday, an inmate received a sentence exceeding four years for his involvement in the 2018 murder of infamous Boston gangster James “Whitey” Bulger at a federal prison in West Virginia.
Paul J. DeCologero, a Massachusetts gangster, was sentenced in federal court following his guilty plea to an assault charge. Initially facing up to 10 years in prison, DeCologero was already serving a 25-year sentence from 2006 for purchasing heroin intended to kill a teenage girl.
Prosecutors initially claimed DeCologero and inmate Fotios “Freddy” Geas used a lock attached to a belt to beat the 89-year-old Bulger in the head, hours after his arrival at the United States Penitentiary, Hazelton from Florida. However, on Thursday, they clarified that DeCologero only acted as a lookout and did not physically attack Bulger.
A grand jury heard testimony from an inmate that DeCologero had labelled Bulger a snitch and planned to kill him upon his arrival at USP Hazelton.
Geas faces a hearing on September 6, charged with murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, which could lead to a life sentence. Last year, the Justice Department announced it would not seek the death penalty for the pair.
Sean McKinnon, another inmate who served as a lookout, pleaded guilty in June to lying to FBI agents about his involvement. McKinnon, credited for 22 months already spent in custody following his 2022 indictment, received no additional prison time and returned to Florida to complete his supervised release, having previously served time for stealing firearms.
Plea deals for the three men were revealed on May 13. Geas and DeCologero were identified as suspects shortly after Bulger’s death, but formal charges were delayed as the investigation continued.
Court records indicate inmates knew in advance of Bulger’s arrival. DeCologero and Geas spent approximately seven minutes in Bulger’s cell during the attack.
Following the killing, experts criticised Bulger’s transfer to Hazelton, highlighting existing concerns about violence and understaffing, and questioning his placement in the general population rather than protective housing.
A 2022 Justice Department inspector general investigation concluded that the killing resulted from multiple management failures, widespread incompetence, and flawed policies within the federal Bureau of Prisons. The inspector general found no evidence of “malicious intent” by bureau employees but cited various bureaucratic errors that left Bulger vulnerable to rival gangsters.
In July, the US Senate passed legislation to overhaul oversight and enhance transparency within the Bureau of Prisons, following reports of systemic corruption in the federal prison system and increased congressional scrutiny.
Bulger, who led Boston’s largely Irish mob in the 1970s and ’80s, was also an FBI informant, providing information on his gang’s primary rival.
After fleeing Boston in 1994 due to a tip-off from his FBI handler about an impending indictment, Bulger became one of the nation’s most wanted fugitives. He was captured at age 81 after over 16 years on the run.
In 2013, Bulger was convicted of 11 murders and numerous other gang-related crimes, many committed while acting as an FBI informant.
DeCologero, a member of a gang led by his uncle, was convicted of buying heroin to kill a teenage girl due to fears she would betray the crew to the police. When the heroin failed, another man broke her neck, dismembered her body, and buried her remains in the woods, according to court records.
Geas, an associate of the Mafia but not an official member due to his Greek heritage, was sentenced to life in 2011, along with his brother, for several violent crimes, including the 2003 murder of Adolfo “Big Al” Bruno, a Genovese crime family boss in Springfield, Massachusetts. Prosecutors stated another mobster ordered Bruno’s murder because he had spoken to the FBI.