Three Men Reach Plea Deals in 2018 Killing of Notorious Gangster Whitey Bulger

WASHINGTON (AP) — Three men charged in the 2018 prison killing of notorious Boston gangster James “Whitey” Bulger have reached plea deals with prosecutors, as revealed in court papers filed on Monday.

The plea agreements for Fotios “Freddy” Geas, Paul J. DeCologero, and Sean McKinnon were disclosed nearly six years after the 89-year-old gangster was beaten to death in his cell at a troubled West Virginia prison.

Geas, a former Mafia hitman, and DeCologero, a Massachusetts gangster, were accused of repeatedly hitting Bulger in the head while McKinnon served as a lookout. DeCologero had informed another inmate that Bulger was a “snitch” and that they planned to kill him as soon as he entered their unit. DeCologero also revealed to an inmate that he and Geas used a belt with a lock attached to it to bludgeon Bulger to death, according to prosecutors.

Geas and DeCologero were identified as suspects shortly after Bulger’s death, but charges were not filed for years as the investigation dragged on.

Prosecutors in West Virginia federal court have requested hearings for the men to change their not-guilty pleas and to be sentenced. However, they did not provide further details about the plea agreements, which have not been filed in court.

Bulger, who ran the largely Irish mob in Boston in the 1970s and ’80s, served as an FBI informant who betrayed his gang’s main rival. He became one of the nation’s most-wanted fugitives after fleeing Boston in 1994 following a tip from his FBI handler about an impending indictment. He was captured at the age of 81 after more than 16 years on the run.

In 2013, Bulger was convicted of 11 killings and numerous other gangland crimes, many committed while he was reportedly an FBI informant.

Bulger was killed just hours after his transfer from a Florida lockup to USP Hazelton in West Virginia and placed in the general population. His transfer and placement in general population instead of protective housing were widely criticized following his death. A 2022 Justice Department inspector general investigation found that his killing resulted from multiple layers of management failures, widespread incompetence, and flawed policies at the Bureau of Prisons. The investigation found no evidence of “malicious intent” by bureau employees but highlighted a series of bureaucratic errors that left Bulger vulnerable to rival gangsters.

DeCologero, who was part of an organized crime gang led by his uncle in Massachusetts, was previously convicted of buying heroin used in an attempt to kill a teenage girl whom his uncle feared would betray the crew to the police. When the heroin failed to kill her, another man broke her neck, dismembered her, and buried her remains in the woods, according to court records.

Geas was a close associate of the Mafia and acted as an enforcer but was not an official “made” member due to his Greek heritage. He and his brother were sentenced to life in prison in 2011 for their roles in several violent crimes, including the 2003 killing of Adolfo “Big Al” Bruno, a Genovese crime family boss in Springfield, Massachusetts. Another mobster ordered Bruno’s killing because he was upset that Bruno had talked to the FBI, prosecutors said.

McKinnon had been on federal supervised release after serving prison time for stealing guns from a firearms dealer when he was arrested on charges related to Bulger’s killing.

The Justice Department stated last year that it would not seek the death sentence for Geas and DeCologero, who were charged with murder. All three men were charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, which carries up to a life sentence. McKinnon was also charged with making false statements to a federal agent.

Belinda Haynie, an attorney for Geas, declined to comment on Monday. Attorneys for DeCologero and McKinnon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The death of Bulger, a figure whose life and crimes had been the subject of books and movies, including the 2015 film "Black Mass" starring Johnny Depp, reignited debates about prison safety and the handling of high-profile inmates. The upcoming court proceedings are expected to shed more light on the circumstances surrounding the notorious gangster’s death and the accountability of those involved.