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  • Whitey Bulger Gets Two Life Sentences

    Whitey Bulger Gets Two Life Sentences

    Whitey Bulger, the Boston crime boss who was convicted of 32 charges in August, was sentenced to serve two life terms plus five years this morning.

    Bulger was found guilty of charges which included the murder of at least eleven people, racketeering, and money laundering, among other things, and on Wednesday sat in court as the family members of some of his victims testified against him. One of them–Sean McGonagle–says he was just eleven years old when his father, a rival gang member, disappeared. Paul McGonagle’s body was found decades later, but Sean said he’ll never forget answering the phone as a child and hearing Bulger’s voice say, “Your father won’t be coming home for Christmas.” When the boy asked who he was speaking to, Bulger allegedly replied, “Santa Claus.”

    “You’re a domestic terrorist fueled by greed and sickening evil,” McGonagle told Bulger.

    Bulger ran an underworld empire throughout the ’70s and ’80s with the help of several law enforcement agents who were in his pocket; one of them, FBI agent John Connolly, tipped off Bulger about an impending arrest in the ’90s and allowed him to run. He hid successfully for years, until a curious neighbor started a chain of events that led to his arrest in 2011 in San Francisco.

  • Whitey Bulger Could Get Life Sentence Next Week

    Whitey Bulger, who was convicted in August of 32 charges of murder, money laundering, and racketeering, could face life in prison after his sentencing next week.

    Bulger did not take the stand at all during his trial over the summer, but he’ll be given a chance to speak before his sentence is handed down. Federal prosecutors said on Thursday that the 84-year old deserves life in prison for the crimes he’s accused of, which include at least eleven murders as well as drug trafficking. They asked the judge for two consecutive life sentences plus five years.

    “There are no mitigating factors, and defendant Bulger has no redeeming qualities, which would justify any sentence below the one called for by the US Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable case law and statutes,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “Bulger’s horrific crimes and sadistic behavior demonstrate that he deserves no mercy at the time of sentencing.”

    Bulger was indicted in 1994 for racketeering, which he managed with the help of some friends in the Bureau. For decades, he ran a large underground world of crime in the Boston area and had several law enforcement officials in his pocket. One of them, John Connolly, tipped Bulger off about his impending arrest in the ’90s and allowed him to run free. He eventually fled with longtime girlfriend Catherine Greig and ended up in San Francisco, where a curious neighbor started the chain of events that led to his capture in 2011. Part of his story inspired the film “The Departed”.

    US District Court Judge Denise J. Casper will hear from families of the victims, prosecutors, and defense attorneys on November 13 before making a decision about sentencing.

    Image: Wikimedia Commons